I LI BRARY OF CONGRE SS. 

? [SMETHSOKIAN DEPOSIT.] 

# 

! UNITED STATES OE AMERICA, 



DEFENCE OF DR. GOULD 



BY THE 



SCIENTIFIC COUNCIL 



DUDLEY OBSERYATORY. 






ALBANY : 

WEED, P ARSONS AXD COMPACT. 

. 1858. 



DEFENCE OE M GOULD, 

BY THE SCIENTIFIC COUNCIL 



TO THE DONORS AND FRIENDS OF THE DUDLEY 
OBSERVATORY. 

Fellow Citizens : 

The undersigned who address yon were named as 
the Scientific Council of the Dudley Observatory, 
at a meeting of the friends of the Observatory, in 
which certain members of the Trustees took part in 
September, 1855. By the use of our name, and under 
the pledge of our management of the scientific con- 
cerns of the Observatory, the large donation of Mrs. 
Dudley, as well as many smaller ones, were procured. 
This position gives us a right, therefore, to address 
you, and we now wish a hearing in regard to the 
charges preferred by the President of the Trustees of 
the Observatory, Mr. Olcott, against the Director, Dr. 
B. A. Gould, Jr. 

1. Ostensible Reasons. — The ostensible reasons as- 
signed by Mr. Olcott and the Trustees voting with 
him, for their late astonishing course of procedure in 
regard to the affairs of the Observatory, are the 



alleged incompetency, dishonesty, peculiarity of tem- 
per, and the unfitness in other respects of Dr. Gould 
for the position in which he was placed. Being in- 
formed by the Trustees that difficulties existed be- 
tween them and Dr. Gould, we hastened to this city 
in accordance with a previous arrangement, although 
at a time when it was exceedingly inconvenient for us 
to leave home, and pressing duties relative to our re- 
spective offices demanded our attention. We came 
with the determination rigorously to examine into the 
state of affairs, to ascertain how much of error might 
be due to each party, and to suggest rules for the go- 
vernment of both in their subsequent intercourse. We 
came not as partizans to uphold Dr. Gould in what we 
might consider the wrong, but as men having a solemn 
duty to discharge towards the community, anxious to 
prevent the dissipation of a noble bequest, anxious to 
avert the disgrace to the city of Albany, to ourselves, 
to our friends in the Board, which would result from 
an open and uncompromising rupture between our 
associate and the Board of Trustees. We therefore 
respectfully requested of the Board a statement of the 
difficulties of which they complained. We also made 
a similar request of Dr. Gould. 

By the Trustees, however, we were accused of an 
unwarrantable assumption of power. They refused 
to furnish us with any facts or to hold any inter- 
course with us unless we would sanction the imme- 
diate removal of Dr. Gould. They gave him no 
opportunity to defend himself. They refused to allow 
the case to be investigated, and their President pre- 
maturely published charges against Dr. Gould, so 



vitally affecting his character that, unless substan- 
tiated by the clearest evidence, they must be con- 
sidered as the result of a malicious determination 
to destroy, if possible, his reputation as a man of 
science and a man of honor, and to do him a wilful 
and egregious wrong. 

After the publication of this astonishing document 
we again requested the President of the Trustees to 
furnish us the evidence on which these assertions 
were founded. This he refused to do, and, in answer 
to our respectful and repeated solicitations, they con- 
summated their acts of arbitrary power by assuming 
to dismiss us as the Scientific Council of the Dudley 
Observatory. After this last act we can exert no 
influence on the Trustees, but we now feel that we 
owe it as a dutv to Dr. Gould and to ourselves, his 
associates, to defend him against the unjust charges 
which have been made against him. We have made 
the examination necessary to this, and have come 
deliberately to the conclusion — that the Trustees, 
instead of being actuated by a desire to advance astro- 
nomical science, have sought merely the advancement 
of their own interests and the gratification of personal 
feeling. They have iio idea of an Observatory such 
as their high-sounding words to us and to the public 
would imply, and they have sought by constant and 
harassing interference to impede the results of the gene- 
rous devotion of Dr. Gould, and, though they have 
made no provision for his support, they now accuse 
him of tardiness for not having done more than almost 
any individual in a similar position has ever done, 
under the most favorable circumstances. ' We shall 



6 

discuss the several charges made against Dr. Gould, 
and leave the inferences to the judgment of candid 
men, who will decide whether the Trustees or the 
Director are most worthy of their office. 

Our examination has so convinced us of the grievous 
injustice done to our colleague, that we have entitled 
our statement a " defence." The great difficulty of the 
case is that the charges are so boldly made that the world 
can only be convinced by the most searching discussion 
that there is no foundation whatever for them, and 
that this discussion must occupy considerable space. 
On the other hand we have the encouragement that 
with all the labor and pains taken by the President of 
the Board, he has not succeeded in making a single 
point of consequence, against Dr. Gould. It is, in- 
deed, unusual for a man to come out of such an ordeal 
unscathed, as Dr. Gould has, from the examination 
which we have instituted upon the studied and elabo- 
rate paper of Mr. Olcott. 

It is not necessary to follow Mr. Olcott through his 
history of the Observatory, as it consists of statements 
which, though combined to suit his particular views, 
and therefore not strictly accurate, contain no charges 
against Dr. Gould. 

Still it may be well to follow his extraordinary com- 
munication, adopted by the Board, in the order of his 
charges, sneers and inuendoes, and to consider these 
one by one,— with the exception of sundry loose 
statements and inaccurate assertions, of which we will 
speak in their aggregate. 

And we will begin with these. 



2. Loose Statements. — It seems hardly worth while 
to notice the numerous small inaccuracies of Mr. 01- 
cott's statement, except as tending to show the loose- 
ness and disregard of precision with which it has been 
made up. 

For example — the liberal guaranty of Hon. J. V. L. 
Pruyn, which induced the Superintendent of the Coast 
Survey to make his offer in 1855, is omitted. Dr. 
Gould was urged by the Trustees to go to Europe, 
instead of offering, as Mr. Olcott states. Dr. Gould 
was not authorized t6 purchase barometers and ther- 
mometers, and the mention of such trivial instruments 
in connection with the great meridian-circle shows a 
lamentable want of the discrimination due to candor 
or knowledge. Dr. Gould's expenses in Europe were 
only in part borne by the Observatory ; they amounted 
to over $1,500, of which he generously declined the 
reimbursement of more than half. Dr. Gould stated 
at the meeting at Mrs. Dudley's, (the donors and\)ther 
" friends of the enterprise " met in those days at Mrs. 
Dudley's to hear of progress and to give advice,) that 
he had concluded to award the construction of the 
heliometer to Mr. Spencer, and the final arrangements 
with Mr. Spencer were made by Mr. Olcott himself, 
after consulting Mrs. Dudley, and presenting for her 
selection estimates of instruments of several different 
sizes and prices. With much liberality and good 
judgment she selected the largest. 

Dr. Gould not only purchased no barometers or 
thermometers abroad, but he placed none in charge of 
Mr. Gavit. Mr. Gavit, who subsequently made these 
small purchases, having found it impracticable to obtain 



8 

authority to carry the instrument in the original pack- 
ages, unopened, across England, was obliged to entrust 
them to the express, and some of them were broken. 
We cannot hold Dr. Gould responsible for any part of 
this, nor for the non-recovery of the insurance, which 
business clearly belongs to the financial agent of the 
Trustees, to whom Dr. Gould more than once ad- 
dressed a reminder on this very subject. We must 
exonerate Mr. Gavit from blame in the matter of trans- 
portation ; and the whole set of instruments having, as 
we are informed, cost but $150, and only a part of 
them having been injured, the matter is not probably 
one of much consequence. Of whatever consequence, 
Dr. Gould had no part in it. 

After speaking of Dr. Gould's removal to Albany, 
Mr. Olcott refers to an application from him "in Feb- 
ruary last, for a new dome." The letters of Dr. Gould 
(which were in January, not February) show that no 
such application was made — Dr. Gould merely inclos- 
ing a report of the architect, with his own remarks, 
submitting the question for decision "whether ano- 
ther dome ought to be provided at the present time," 
and showing" how the existing structure can be render- 
ed safe for present use. It will be recollected that this 
dome was constructed long before Dr. Gould had any 
connection whatever with the Dudley Observatory. A 
new dome instead of costing " several thousand dollars," 
as asserted by Mr. Olcott, was estimated by the archi- 
tect at the price of $1,800. 

Neither the estimates of Dr. Gould for mounting the 
instruments, nor his demands upon the Trustees, ex- 
ceeded $3,800, as alleged by Mr. Olcott. The estimates, 



subsequent to January 21, were requested by the Trus- 
tees, and, as will be subsequently shown, did not reach 
an amount in any way comparable with this sum. 
The details of them we give in the proper place. 

There are other small matters which in passing it 
may be well to notice, such as these : — 

That the pledge of Prof. Bache, to provide a transit 
for time from the Coast Survey instruments, is one 
which has long been redeemed; that the instrument 
was mounted in April, and has been in use on every 
clear night since that time ; that no observer for the 
heliometer is yet needed, inasmuch as the instrument 
has not been finished, and of course has furnished 
no observations to "belong jointly to the Observatory 
and Coast Survey, and to be published by either." 

There are many allegations which, as intended to 
show that Dr. Gould's recommendations were wanting 
in good judgment, may deserve a passing notice : — 

That Mr. Spencer's voyage to Europe resulted in no 
great addition to the stock of his previous information — 
or, in other words, that his careful study of the great 
heliometer at Oxford, and of the instrumental work- 
shops and optical institutions of France and Germany 
added nothing to his previous information — is a propo- 
sition which only needs to be clearly stated, to show its 
necessary fallaciousness. That the rejected stone from 
Lockport was one which might properly have been 
accepted, is a statement simply untrue, and one which 
will be refuted by every astronomer who will examine 
the block. That the chronographs and clocks were 
ordered before they were wanted, and cost too much ; 
an assertion which contrasts curiously with Mr. Olcott's 



10 

insinuation of blame to Dr. Gould, because one of 
them "by some unaccountable delay has not yet arriv- 
ed." The prices paid we consider extremely low for 
the apparatus received. If it be true, as it would be 
natural to anticipate, that considerable sums have been 
lost in experiment, the generous zeal of Mr. Farmer, 
the gifted mechanic, has certainly prevented such loss 
from falling upon the Observatory. 

There are numerous other similar allegations which 
will be considered in their regular order. 

3. Precision and Exactness. — In the midst of the 
praise awarded to Dr. Gould for his promptness and 
energy, and the rejoicing over the ceremonies of the 
inauguration in August, 1856, is the unmerited fling 
at his " precision and transcendental exactness." Se- 
parated from their rhetorical show, the two para- 
graphs which we are now noticing prove that Mr. 
Olcott did not at all understand what was meant 
by the terms "original" and "in advance of other 
institutions," as applied to an astronomical observa- 
tory, or he would hardly venture to blame any 
amount of precision or exactness, — the only qualities 
which distinguish the great practical astronomer from 
an ordinary observer. The Scientific Council cer- 
tainly shared in the delusions of these times, if delu- 
sions they were. The representations of Mr. Olcott 
and Dr. Armsby, and of other co-trustees, so often 
expressed, had induced them to believe that the 
Trustees desired to have an observatory deserving to 
be considered a national institution, and that funds 
would not be wanting for such a purpose. They were 
called upon to take part in no ordinary or local insti- 



11 

tution, but in a great National Observatory, and it was 
to such an establishment that they promised to devote 
their time and labors as a Directing Council. It was 
to such an observatory that Mrs. Dudley, on the pledge 
of their names, and the assurance that they would un- 
dertake its scientific direction, made her great donation. 
If the contributions have fallen short of the expectations 
of the Trustees, or by " wasteful expenditure " have been 
diminished below the point where the expectations then 
entertained can be realized, we submit that neither Dr. 
Gould's "precision" nor "transcendental exactness" is 
responsible. For ourselves, we declare that we never 
would have taken the post of Councillors of an ob- 
servatory, of which we had not supposed the Trustees 
imbued in the fullest and most complete sense with the 
idea that originality, precision and progress were to be 
the watchwords of the Observatory. 

That the quarries of Lockport could not furnish the 
requisite supply of stone for the piers of the meridian 
circle is a gratuitous assertion of Mr. Olcott; but that 
the stone, sent from thence by the person with whom 
the Executive Committee made the contract, was unfit 
for its purpose, is a fact which we have verified by a 
close inspection. To mount this splendid meridian 
circle upon a stone liable to any defect whatever, would 
be to expose the results to error and to the suspicion of 
error, — to place a costly structure upon an inadequate 
foundation. Better not mount the instrument at all. 
It was merely squandering funds to purchase it at all, 
if it was to be mounted thus. Its precision and exact- 
ness would be thrown away, if a defective stone sup- 
ported it. 



12 

The question of the payment for this condemned 
stone is again one of those belonging not to Dr. Gould 
but to the Trustees, and especially to the Executive 
Committee. Dr. Gould's expressions of regret (which 
we. have seen in his correspondence) at the cost, are 
adopted by the Council. 

It will hardly be considered as just, in relating the 
history of the Observatory, to adopt the rhetorical 
flourish of Mr. Olcott, in regard to giving "a place on 
the earth to our [the Trustees'] castle in the air." 
General Van Rensselaer had given the ground for an 
Observatory ; Mrs. Dudley had contributed some $28,000 
to the institution ; and by various contributions a build- 
ing had been erected, although without instruments or 
the necessary equipments of an astronomical observa- 
tory. It was in this condition of things, and when 
hopes of success in organizing the institution had 
almost been abandoned, that the arrangement in regard 
to the Scientific Council was entered upon. On the 
faith of this arrangement with us, by which we became 
the Directing Council of the Observatory, Mrs. Dudley 
made her great donation of $50,000, and a new era 
was inaugurated with the imposing ceremonies of 
August, 1856. This, with the frequent assurances of 
the Trustees, left no doubt in our minds that the scien- 
tific concerns of the Observatory were under our con- 
trol and direction. We looked to a permanent connec- 
tion, based upon it, with the rising institution. 

4. Injudicious Recom?nendalions. 

(a.) The Ingenious Crane. — The apparatus for placing 
the great piers by which the meridian-circle is sup- 
ported, we consider as being at once ingenious, eco- 



13 

nomical and well contrived. The success with which 
it has accomplished its work is the best demon- 
stration of its excellence. Stones weighing over 
seven tons each were to be brought into place with 
a degree of accuracy with which an ordinary ma- 
son could not lay even a brick or corner stone. To 
talk of placing them properly without some such ap- 
paratus, is to utter ridiculous absurdity ; and this case 
well illustrates the many practical difficulties with which 
Dr. Gould has had to contend in his successful efforts 
to grapple with the difficult problem of mounting an 
instrument of such unexampled magnitude and deli- 
cacy. The only comparable operation is the well- 
known one of the great Transit- circle of the Greenwich 
Observatory. It may be that masons offered to place 
the stones in position for one-quarter the cost of the ma- 
chine. In so doing, they showed an ignorance of the 
difficulty of the problem ; an ignorance perfectly excus- 
able in them, although its adoption is not excusable in 
Mr. Olcott. 

(Z>.) The Dome. — The dome of the Observatory was 
built by direction of the Trustees in 1852, long before 
Dr. Gould or any of the Council had any connection 
with the Dudley Observatory. Not only is Dr. Gould 
not responsible for its inadequacies and imperfections, 
but his efforts to remedy them have been unremitting. 
It unfortunately resembles that of "the great Imperial 
Observatory of Russia" only in some characteristics of 
external form. The suggestion that Mr. Hodgins — the 
skilful architect to whose ingenuity the happy idea of 
using flexible iron shutters is due — would make designs 
irrespective of what an architect was entitled to assume 
as the strength of such a structure, carries its own refu- 



14 

tation with it. Not only did the dome prove incapable 
of supporting the shutters, but even of properly sup- 
porting its own weight, so soon as the tinning which 
covered the meridian aperture was removed. 

(c.) The Wings of the Building, — The machinery 
for opening and closing the shutters of the wings is, in 
our judgement, an elegant and important contribution 
to observatory- architecture. It is highly successful, 
and the admiration of all who examine it. If Dr. 
Gould aimed, as Mr. Olcott sneeringly taunts him 
with doing, " at something beyond the magnificence of 
the royal institutions of Europe," he would only have 
followed the directions uniformly given and the re- 
quests continually urged. But the taunt is undeserved 
and harmless. What the price of the machinery may 
have been we do not know, nor does he. We only 
know that the contracts were made by Mr. Olcott or Dr. 
Armsby on the one hand, and fulfilled by a Trustee of 
the Observatory on the other; that the plans were ju- 
dicious, elegant, ingenious and highly commendable. 
The closing remark, in which reference is again made 
to the dome, is not only ungenerous but highly impro- 
per ; for Mr. Olcott must well remember the encourage- 
ments which were held out to the Scientific Council, 
that the new equatorial, nearly completed for Hamilton 
College, would in all probability be used at the Dudley 
Observatory until its hire should supply the means for 
the purchase of a transit-instrument to use with it at 
the institution for which it was constructed. There 
are some points in this connection which may, we trust, 
be fully made public on some future occasion. 

(cL) Chronographs and Clocks. — To this topic we have 



15 

already alluded under the head of " Loose Statements," 
and we shall consider it again in detail. 

(e.) The Dwelling-House. — At the instance of Messrs. 
Armsby and Olcott, Dr. Gould undertook to have the 
plans for a dwelling drawn under his supervision at 
Boston. These plans contemplated an unpretending 
wooden building, in a less prominent and more appro- 
priate position than the present one. # Most of the es- 
sential characteristics were modified by Messrs. Olcott 
and Armsby, who also selected a new site, occupy- 
ing a position which neither Dr. Gould nor ourselves 
would have advised. Dr. Gould informs us that the new 
plan was not " submitted to him, and discussed room by 
room," as Mr. Olcott asserts. Had Dr. Gould, under the 
circumstances, complained of these changes, it would not 
have been unnatural ; but we find no evidence that he has 
done so. On the other hand — though the present dwell- 
ing does not possess the advantages of his plan, .has pro- 
bably cost at least twice what it should have done, 
and is by no means a specimen of thorough workman- 
ship — he has not busied himself with any considera- 
tions of personal comfort, but has struggled to main- 
tain and promote the welfare of the Observatory 
through difficulties and obstacles almost appalling, 
concentrating his attention upon this one great object 
alone. 

(f.) The ready Concurrence in all his Schemes. — 
The earnestness which Mr. Olcott manifests, in his state- 
ment, to exonerate everybody excepting Dr. Gould, is 
almost amusing. In this connection we beg to quote 
from Dr. Gould's report to us of December, 1857. 

( This report was made in the December previous to 
Dr. Gould's removal to Albany.) 



16 

From Dr. Gould's Report to the Scientific Council, 1857, Dec. 21. 

" In alluding to these difficulties, I desire only to cite them 
as illustrative of the state of affairs and constant embarrass- 
ment since my first connection with the Observatory. With 
every expression of confidence and regard on the part of the 
Executive Committee, and a full reliance on my own part in 
the excellence of their intentions, I have found it throughout 
impossible to prevent continual interference, leading alike to 
very large and entirely unnecessary outlay, and to results at 
variance with my taste and judgment. My complaints have 
always been met in one and the same way, viz. : with assur- 
ances of rectitude of motive, promises of future non-inter- 
ference, and appeals to my forbearance, as requisite alike for 
the protection of the innocent colleague [Mr. Olcott], and for 
the welfare of the institution. From you and my most inti- 
mate friends I have not for the past year concealed this state 
of affairs ; from the world I have done so, preferring to endure 
personal annoyance and incur danger of undeserved censure, 
rather than to take the only step which could protect myself, 
since this would endanger the interests of the Observatory. 

" It could not be anticipated that a great work like the or- 
ganization of such an institution as we had in view, could be 
carried to its consummation without embarrassments and per- 
sonal annoyances. All concerned must naturally expect to 
bear some portion of the burden, looking for their reward to 
the brilliant success which should crown their united and 

harmonious action. 

# # # # # 

" Of the donations during the year subsequent to the inaugu- 
ration of the Observatory, I need not speak. An of the 
Scientific Council aided with their best exertions, and had 
united in pledging their reputations that in case the desired 
endowment could be secured, the success of the Dudley 
Observatory should equal the hopes and anticipations of its 
most sanguine friends. All, excepting myself, had joined with 
the Executive Committee in soliciting and advocating the aid 
of wealthy citizens in various parts of the country, and the 
appeals met with a liberal and generous response. 



17 

" What sum had been received previous to the commence- 
ment of the present financial troubles, I do not know ; but 
from the intimations of the Executive Committee, I appre- 
hend not only that all has been expended as fast as received, 
but that the donation of Mrs. Dudley towards the endowment 
has been encroached upon to some considerable extent, and 
it is very evident that but small hopes can reasonably be 
entertained of any new donations, in the present state of 
financial affairs, throughout the land. 

" The apprehension of some cessation of the gifts, which have 
flowed into the treasury of the Observatory with such liberality 
during the last year, has continually distressed me ; but under 
the peculiar relations I have occupied towards Messrs. Olcott 
and Armsby, [ have been fettered by a sense of delicacy, and 
have not felt warranted in remonstrating with gentlemen to 
whose energy the inception of the undertaking has been due, 
and whose exertions to obtain the funds have been so unre- 
mitting. There is, however, an evident tendency to devote 
more attention to appearances than to realities, and I do not 
think that the importance of obtaining a proper endowment, 
before attempting to commence active operations, has been 
sufficiently felt. At present the Executive Committee seem 
extremely desirous to commence as soon as the dwelling- 
house is completed, — a plan which seems to me ill-adapted to 
promote the true dignity of the Observatory, to whose estab- 
lishment we have looked forward with so much pride and 
confidence. They take the ground that until " results" shall 
have been obtained, no farther contributions can be expected. 
Under these circumstances, it is my desire to be guided by 
your advice. 

" One point seems to deserve allusion before passing from this 
subject. Being not only influenced by considerations of taste 
and of economy, but impelled also by apprehensions as to 
points essential to the proper performance of the work going 
on, as regards its adaptation for astronomical use, I urged upon 
the Executive Committee the importance of permitting the 
work to be guided by one mind alone. They readily acceded 
3 



18 

to my views ; and so strongly was I impressed with the 
importance of preventing the recklessly lavish and injudicious 
expenditures of Dr. Armsby, that, although oppressed as you 
are aware with overwhelming labors, I undertook the respon- 
sibility and care incident to the entire charge of the work, 
and was formally installed by the Executive Committee as 
Director and clothed with full executive powers. I was as- 
sured that no outlay should be made or expense incurred 
without my approval ; that no more money should be ex- 
pended upon external decorations until essentials should have 
been provided for ; and that all persons employed upon the 
building should be instructed to receive orders from me alone. 
" At the same time a liberal offer of salary was made me, 
which I declined, preferring to render whatever services might 
be in my power as a contribution towards the great end in 
view, — but stipulating as before that no labors or exertions of 
mine towards the completion and equipment of the institution 
should be considered in the light of an indirect promise to take 
charge of the Observatory when completed. Of course I did 
not assume the charge of any matters of finance, but under- 
took the directorship of all matters of construction, execution 
and administration, endeavoring to inform myself as well as 
possible of the state of the finances ; and on two occasions the 
Treasurer politely furnished me at my request with such infor- 
mation. I visited Albany even more frequently than before, 
and gave attention to all matters of detail. But to my pain 
and sorrow I found all in vain. My orders were constantly and 
persistently disregarded, and at each successive visit I found 
more numerous demonstrations that my directorship was but 
nominal. Written directions were set at naught, and the same 
tendencies as before were manifested, to an extent which left 
me no other alternative than to surrender the responsibility 
which I had assumed. Self-respect, and unwillingness to be 
even the apparent originator of many changes repugnant to my 
taste, required this. And as fortunately the directions for all 
the remaining steps of scientific importance had been already 
given by me, my withdrawal involved no dereliction of duty. 



19 

I therefore soon ceased to attempt the exercise of any functions 
of directorship, apart from the prosecution of the purely scien- 
tific operations already in progress. 

" Since this period the expenditures appear to have been 
going on as before, at a rate which may almost be characterized 
as inordinate, although the work appears to be performed as a 
general thing in a very inferior style. With the circumstances 
attending the erection of the dwelling-house, gas-house, &c, 
you are already familiar and I need not recapitulate them. 
They will serve as illustrations." 

5. Dr. Gould's delay in coming to Albany. — In the 
original letters of the Scientific Council, August 8 and 
August 11, 1856, it was distinctly and unequivocally 
stated that "the Observatory cannot be creditably 
conducted for less than $10,000 of annual outlay." 
All the pledges of the Scientific Council and the 
Director were based upon the condition of obtaining 
this amount of income; and never did they swerve 
from this condition until the financial crisis of last 
winter. In all this interval of time, therefore, from 
August, 1856, till the winter of 1858, Dr. Gould was 
under no form of obligation to the Observatory; 
and all that he did for it during this period was a 
voluntary as well as a gratuitous contribution to its 
success. To turn round upon him now, after this 
long-continued and self-sacrificing devotion to their 
cause ; to make this the basis of charges in order 
to screen themselves from the consequences of their 
own wasteful expenditures of money, expenditures 
against which Dr. Gould had constantly protested ; 
and to found upon it an additional accusation, because, 
in perfect and entire conformity with their contract, 
he waited till the obligation of action was imposed 



20 

upon him by the non-accomplishment of the promised 
subscription for the endowment, are acts of ingratitude 
which require no epithet. 

There was abundant reason for Dr. Gould's delay in 
coming to Albany. He was overwhelmed with busi- 
ness which had accumulated in his regular Coast 
Survey duties, in consequence of the time which he 
had gratuitously devoted to the Observatory, and inves- 
tigations relative to the Chilean expedition which he 
had previously undertaken. The endowment had not 
been completed and there was no provision made for 
the support of the Observatory. Under these condi- 
tions the Scientific Council did not think it proper to 
urge him immediately to come to Albany 7 and in- 
deed he had given no pledge that he would perma- 
nently accept the office of Director previous to the 
completion of the endowment ; the only presumption 
that he would accept it after that condition had been ful- 
filled arose from the zeal he had manifested in the cause 
and the time and labor he had devoted to devising and 
procuring the instruments. It was not until the finan- 
cial condition of the country rendered it improbable that 
any more funds could be raised at that time, and until 
after the difficulties relative to Dr. Peters had occurred, 
that it was evidently necessary that the establishment 
should be under the immediate charge of a resident 
Director. The Scientific Council, however, did not 
think it proper to make a farther draft upon the gene- 
rosity of Dr. Gould, by requesting him to assume the 
responsibilities and difficulties of the position, and to 
make farther sacrifices in regard to it, while the pros<- 
pect of completing the endowment was so uncertain. 



21 

He generously, however, relieved them from this em- 
barrassment by offering to remove to Albany and take 
charge of the whole without the prospect of any remu- 
neration. Dr. Gould is, after Mrs. Dudley, the princi- 
pal contributor, by the devotion of his time, his talents, 
his thoughts and his labor; and to make it a ground of 
complaint against him that he did not sooner come to 
Albany, is not only unreasonable, but most ungenerous 
and unjust. 

6. Application for another and a rival position. — 
This identical charge was urged in the presence of 
Mr. Olcott, at his office, in December last, and Professor 
Peirce then and there made a distinct statement of the 
facts of the case, which were understood at the time 
to receive the unqualified approbation of Mr. Olcott 

This was the statement : 

Sometime in the course of the previous year an in- 
formal and unofficial letter had been written to each 
one of ourselves individually, in which we were given 
to understand that a professorship of Astronomy was 
likely to be established in Columbia College, New 
York, and inquiry was made as to whom we could re- 
commend for this chair. We named various gentlemen, 
and, without any mutual communication or knowledge 
on the part of any one of us that the others had been 
consulted, each stated that he regarded Dr. Gould as 
the gentleman best qualified to fill the professorship. 
Professor Peirce went a step farther, and recommended 
that arrangements should be made by which the pro- 
fessorship should be combined with the office of Direc- 
tor of the Dudley Observatory ; and argued that this 
combination of offices, which was common in Euro- 



22 

pean institutions, would unite the two interests. When 
subsequently the office was actually established, there 
was no candidate recommended by these gentlemen 
either for the astronomical or for the mathematical 
chair, and their intentions were pointing in a totally 
different direction. 

In these steps Dr. Gould had neither part nor know- 
ledge ; he was in no way implicated ; and no measures 
were taken to ascertain whether he would have accepted 
the professorship, had he been invited to assume it. 

A " rival institution " is here alluded to as if it were 
a rival manufactory or commercial firm, whereas it is 
simply another institution for the promotion of astro- 
nomical science, which should compete generously with 
the Dudley Observatory, not rival it, as in the commer- 
cial sense of the President. 

7. The sacrifice of Dr. Peters. — This is a delicate point 
and one which we should ourselves have hesitated to 
bring before the public. If in our exposition of the 
case we are obliged to present facts which will not 
place Dr. Peters, in a very enviable position, and cir- 
cumstances which may not be agreeable to the Presi- 
dent of the Board, the result must be attributed to 
Mr. Olcott alone. 

According to Mr. Olcott, Dr. Peters " is not a spe- 
cious, entertaining, pedantic theorist, abounding in 
contrivances of a useless and visionary character," but 
" a ripe scholar, an accomplished astronomer," who 
" can fathom with profound mind the profounder 
depths of science." " A foreigner, a comparative 
stranger in our midst, with but few friends," " gifted 
but unpretending," he " was driven from our city" by 
the "decree" of the Scientific Council because he 



23 

ventured to " presume on the liberties of manhood: in 
this the land of his adoption." 

The view given by Mr. Olcott of the case of Dr: 
Peters is such as actually to condemn the Board of 
Trustees, by whom what Mr. Olcott terms "the sacri- 
fice" was made. If Dr. Peters is such a man as Mr. 
Olcott represents him, or if the Trustees believed him 
to be such, it was a grievous wrong and a high outrage 
thus to "sacrifice" him and drive him from the city. 
No motives of " Harmony " could have justified the sacri- 
fice of such a man. We prefer, however, to believe 
that they adopted our valuation of the services of Dr. 
Peters, and that in procuring a place for him at Hamil- 
ton College they considered that all obligation implied 
in the support which they had extended to him, had 
been discharged. 

Dr. Peters is a Dane, of considerable acquirements 
and practical knowledge, who, after unsuccessful at- 
tempts in Germany, Italy and Turkey to find perma- 
nent employment, decided to* seek his fortune in 
America,, and for this purpose wrote to Dr. Gould, 
with whom he had become acquainted in Europe ten 
years ago y asking his aid and influence in obtaining 
employment here. Dr: Gould advised him not to 
come, but promised his* best efforts to help him should 
he determine to* do so. He came; was received 
by Dr. Gould into his household as a guest ; through 
Dr. Gould's exertions he was appointed to a subordi- 
nate position as a computer in the U. S. Coast Survey ; 
and he was intrusted by Dr. Gould with numerous com- 
putations relative to his own private work, for which 
he was more than liberally compensated. Impelled still 
farther by sympathy, and reliance upon his supposed 



24 

friendship and honor, Prof. Bache and Dr. Gould yielded 
to the wishes of this person that he might perform his 
labors in Albany, and represent Dr. Gould at the Ob- 
servatory where the work of construction was going 
on. As part of his duties under the Coast Survey, 
he was directed to determine the latitude and approxi- 
mate longitude of the Observatory, as a point in the 
Hudson river triangulation, and at Dr. Gould's instance 
an increase of pay was allowed him, on this account, 
by the Superintendent of the Survey. The necessary 
instruments were forwarded from Washington and the 
necessary directions and explanations given by Dr. 
Gould. We are informed that these observations for 
latitude and longitude have never yet been reported 
by Dr. Peters. 

In the summer of 1857 the irregularities and delays in 
computing the predictions of occultations, which Dr. Pe- 
ters was executing under Professor Peirce, had become 
so serious, that the Superintendent of the Coast .Survey 
determined that Dr. Peters must confine himself to these 
computations, returning to Cambridge so as "to work 
effectively with Professor Peirce, who had the charge 
of them. No diminution of pay was proposed by 
Professor Bache, who actually departed from official 
usage by informing him of the reasons for the instruc- 
tions given, viz. : that the progress of the computations 
required, not only Dr. Peters' whole time, but his con- 
stant intercourse with Professor Peirce, Dr. Peters 
objected to the removal, although but a short time 
before he had been eager and thankful to accept any 
position, however humble, which might be assigned him, 
and declined to give any reason to Professor Bache 



25 

for his avowed unwillingness to return to Cambridge. 
A week was allowed him to consider the matter ; and 
at the expiration of this period an official order was 
sent, transferring him from Dr. Gould's corps and 
directing him to report to Professor Peirce, at Cam- 
bridge. Without explanation Dr. Peters replied by 
resigning the place upon the Coast Survey. His 
separation from the Survey was his own act. The 
order given by Professor Bache was not prompted by 
suggestions from Dr. Gould, who was at the time, as 
we learn, quite ignorant of the state of feeling towards 
him subsequently fully manifested by Dr. Peters ; but 
was occasioned by a prudent regard for the interests 
committed to his charge. 

Although at first Dr. Armsby made many complaints 
of Dr. Peters and applied for his removal, the latter 
succeeded subsequently in ingratiating himself with him 
and in commending himself also to Mr. Olcott. A state 
of feeling was manifested in Albany relative to Dr. 
Peters' resignation, which appeared at the time unac- 
countable; and in opposition to the advice of the 
Scientific Council, and after Dr. Gould had declined 
to appoint him Assistant in the Observatory, we re- 
ceived notifications from the Secretary of the Trustees 
that he had been elected "Observer." We received, 
however, subsequent information from the President, 
General Van Rensselaer, and from more than one other 
Trustee, that no such election had been made ; a state- 
ment which seems to be confirmed by the subsequent 
action of the Board. 

On this occasion the Scientific Council assembled in 
Albany, and upon their application to General Van 
4 



26 

Rensselaer, a meeting of the Trustees was held, at 
which the Council were allowed to be present. They 
severally addressed the Board, urged the importance 
of harmony, the necessity of subordination, and the 
propriety of leaving the Director to nominate his own 
assistants. The majority of the Trustees concurred, 
and acknowledged by their acts the inconsiderateness 
of their previous step. 

Dr. Peters had placed himself in the very unenviable 
position of one who endeavored, not only to undermine 
the position of his official superior, but also to injure 
and traduce his benefactor. Through the influence of 
the Trustees, Dr. Peters was provided with another 
position, to which Mr. Olcott is understood to have 
largely contributed, and harmony was apparently re- 
stored. But the seeds of discord were too deeply sown, 
not to germinate and bear fruit. And as the probable 
explanation, we are compelled to record a circumstance 
petty in itself, but of which the effect may perhaps be 
rightly appreciated by those acquainted with the pe- 
culiarities of Mr. Olcott, now President of the Board, 
and for some time past the unrelenting opponent of 
Dr. Gould. 

The first instrument completed for the Observatory 
was a small telescope of the kind known as "comet 
seekers," and Dr. Gould had directed Dr. Peters to insti- 
tute a search for comets by carefully sweeping the most 
promising portions- of the heavens, in order by some dis- 
coveries of this kind to obtain for the new Observatory 
a certain popular favor. Four comets appeared, and were 
detected elsewhere before his search proved successful ; 
but at last a telescopic comet (1857, IV.) was found by 
him, two days prior to its detection in Europe. This 



27 

discovery, though not a very important addition to hu- 
man knowledge, received the generous commendation of 
Dr. Gould, who considered that it would be especially 
gratifying to Messrs. Armsby and Olcott, and might 
stimulate some liberal citizen to farther donation. A 
different and adroit use of the circumstance, however, 
was made by Dr. Peters to advance his own interest, 
and he pretended to confer upon the celestial visitant 
the name of "Oleott-Comet." We say pretended, be- 
cause he well knew the name could not be adopted. 
This ridiculous procedure was entirely unwarranted 
by astronomical usage, and the name has of course 
never been adopted by a single astronomer. Dr. Peters 
well knew that after the world had refused the honored 
names of Herschel and Le Verrier to the celestial bodies 
with which these names are indissolubly associated in 
history, it would hardly confer upon a telescopic comet 
the name of the then Vice-President of the Trustees. 
Dr. Gould is the editor of the Astronomical Journal, 
and in his official capacity, although of course desirous 
of gratifying the feelings of Mr. Olcott, he felt obliged to 
change the editorial heading of the article to the words 
"Fourth Comet of 1857," although he left the words 
" Olcott comet" in the body of the communication, 
which he generously published in Dr. Peters's behalf 
alone, without any allusion to their official relations. 
We can understand that it may have grated upon Mr. 
Olcott's feelings to have his name thus stricken from 
the celestial catalogue by one over whom he had, in 
his connection with the Observatory, an official and 
legal control. We leave it to others to decide whether 
his lamentations, uttered over the "sacrifice" of "the 
gifted and unpretending Peters," might not have been 



28 

due as much to the offended dignity of a Trustee as to 
the sympathetic benevolence of an astronomical arbiter; 
whether there may not be plausibility in the suggestion 
that this occurrence has tended to shape his subsequent 
course, and whether the present crisis may not have 
been in some measure owing to the baleful influence 
of the Fourth Comet of 1857. 

In this connection, and in farther explanation of the 
unrelenting course pursued by the majority of th^ 
Trustees, we feel bound to mention another fact 
Great difficulties were encountered in boring or drill- 
ing the horizontal holes through the stone piers of the 
meridian circle, a difficulty attributed by Dr. Gould in 
great measure to the inefficiency of the tools. He 
changed the whole character of the drills, using cast 
iron instead of steel ; and with much simpler appliances 
has accomplished the work successfully. Meantime a 
bill had been presented, relative to which Dr. Gould 
applied to Mr. Olcott for instructions, declaring that 
he had no hesitation in saying that the bill for these 
tools would be enormous, even had the articles been 
good. He goes on to say " In this contingency I see 
no course open but to apply to you for instructions in 
the premises. I cannot certify to the bill and must 
enter my protest against it. Any responsibility in the 
premises which you think it right or proper for me to 
assume, I will take cheerfully." 

Dr. Gould never saw the inefficient tools for which 
this bill was rendered, until they were in use at the 
Observatory ; he gave no drawings or other instructions 
in regard to them, and in short had no responsibility 
concerning their manufacture. 

We think it will be considered evident that this 



29 

course on the part of Dr. Gould indicates at least a fear- 
less determination to do right, when we add that the 
leading member of the firm who presented this bill 
was one of the Executive Committee, and one, more- 
over, who has since that time been among the most 
active in his opposition to Dr. Gould,, and in the at- 
tempts to annoy and persecute him. 

We admit that in these cases Dr. Gould might have 
adopted a course more conducive to "Harmony," but 
what intelligent and high-minded man will presume to 
say that he has done wrong ? 

8. " Wasteful Expenditures" — Dr. Gould "not respon- 
sible!' — The President of the Trustees asserts that waste- 
ful expenditures have been made, and he should at least 
know the nature of the financial concerns of the Insti- 
tution. It is for the donors, whose money has been 
thus wasted after being intrusted to the Board and its 
Executive Committee, to inquire into this. We were 
advised by counsel that it might be our duty, under 
the appeal of Mrs. Dudley, to take this disagreeable 
step, and that an application to the tribunals of the 
state for an investigation into this matter might be 
necessary. The legislature of the commonwealth 
should no doubt be called upon in the proper form to 
investigate this grave subject, in regard to which the 
statement of the President covers such broad ground 
and is so boldly made. What guards were thrown 
around the treasury of this sacred trust? What rules 
adopted for auditing and paying accounts 1 The Pre- 
sident of the Board, who is also the Chairman of the 
Executive Committee, and whose prominent and con- 
trolling part in all the money matters of the Institution 
is well understood, states, for the sake of impeaching 



30 

the judgement and conduct of Dr. Gould, that expendi- 
tures made under his direction have been wasteful. 
And this, too, when he is aware that the contracts and 
bargains have, in nearly all of the cases of any conse- 
quence, been made under the authority of Dr. Armsby, 
his colleague of the former Executive Committee, and 
that some of them were executed by his colleagues of 
the Board. That Dr. Gould's mild and temperate 
statement in regard to one of them (see his letter May 
13,) was the cause of part of his difficulties cannot be 
doubted. If the system of accounts has been loose, — 
in regard to which we have no evidence, nor feel it 
our present duty to make investigations, but which is 
charged in the passionate statement of the President, — 
who is responsible for this, excepting the President 
himself, the Executive Committee, or the Board of 
Trustees 1 

It will be recollected that it was after the declaration 
which Mr. Olcott alleges to have been made to the 
Trustees by Dr. Gould, that " he was not responsible 
for anything which had been done at the Observatory," 
&c, and which Mr. Olcott now characterizes as 
" astounding," that the Board of Trustees sanctioned 
his appointment as Director, and Mr. Olcott said in his 
letter to Prof. Henry (1858, Jan. 23,) "We placed the 
Observatory, the day after you left, in the entire and 
exclusive charge of Dr. Gould, subject only to the 
Scientific Council." The time to deny Dr. Gould's 
allegations was at the meeting of the Board, and the 
mode was by rejecting him on account of them. If he 
was accepted, either his allegations were correct and the 
Trustees accepted them as such, or else they were 
inoffensive, or gave so little offence that it could be 



31 

overlooked. To allow such things to rankle in the 
mind — to treasure them up in the store-house of the 
memory — is not to fulfill the great Christian law. 
We are of opinion that the Trustees well knew that 
Dr. Gould was not responsible for the outlays which 
had been made, and that, if " wasteful extravagance " 
had been committed, they and their agents were respon- 
sible for it. The great majority of the Board might 
even feel that they had no responsibilities ; for their 
meetings had been few and far between, and the atten- 
dance on them quite irregular. This attempt to fix 
the Observatory expenditures upon Dr. Gould is un- 
supported by the rules which govern any well regu- 
lated institution. If Dr. Gould, induced by the 
magnificent views and magnificent promises of Dr. 
Armsby and Mr. Olcott, had advised expensive changes, 
it was their duty to reject them if they would lead to 
"wasteful expenditure." The fact is, that all the 
matters recommended seem to us desirable for an insti- 
tution on the scale proposed by the Trustees, and most 
of them indispensable. The arguments tending to 
show that this or that thing might have been done 
cheaper or better, are all fallacious. It is easy to be a 
prophet after the event. We find in the correspondence 
of Dr. Gould with Dr. Armsby and Mr. Olcott abun- 
dant evidence of his desire to economise in these 
expenditures, and numerous expressions, delicately but 
clearly expressed, of regret and dissatisfaction at the 
cost of various matters for which Dr. Armsby had made 
the Observatory responsible. 

9. Avowed Hostility, Designed Affronts. — We have 
examined the allegation of avowed hostility of Dr. 



32 

Gould to the Board of Trustees, and declare that it has 
no foundation in fact; that he was neither hostile in 
action nor in communication. The temperate and con- 
ciliatory character of his letters under affronts to him, 
and petty annoyances which might well have justified 
some irritation of tone, is upon the whole remarkable. 

The matter of the visits of the Trustees to the Ob- 
servatory and of the difficulties with Dr. Gould's 
assistants, for none we believe are alleged with him, is 
touched upon lightly by Mr. Olcott, We have only 
ex parte testimony in regard to it, Mr. Olcott having 
declined to submit any testimony to us. The reports 
of the assistants place the Trustees more or less com- 
pletely in the wrong, and the subsequent votes of the 
Executive Committee show a state of irritation which 
was highly unfavorable to cool and sound judgment of 
the relation of the parties, or to a correct recollection 
of the transactions themselves. 

No evidence has reached us of open and designed 
affronts to members of this Board, and we are convinced 
that, if Dr. Gould had been given a hearing, the Board 
must have been satisfied that no affronts were given or 
were intended. 

10. Meeting in January. — The transactions of Janu- 
ary, 1858, constituting as they do, in a moral if not a 
legal point of view, a contract between the Trustees of 
the Dudley Observatory and the Scientific Council, 
deserve to be stated in some detail. Mr. Olcott had 
made, on behalf of the Board, to a member of the 
Scientific Council, Professor Bache, several propositions, 
the acceptance of any one of which by the Council 
would be satisfactory to him. 



33 

The circumstances of our appointment should not 
here be lost sight of, nor the fact that friends and 
donors to the Observatory took part in the meeting; 
nor that the Executive Committee, composed of Mr. 
Olcott and Dr. Armsby, took part in the meeting — the 
former addressing it, and both of them calling upon 
Prof. Henry and Dr. Gould to do the same. These 
gentlemen always wrote and said to us that the scien- 
tific control of the Observatory was to be exclusively 
with us. We were the Scientific Council, to manage 
the scientific concerns of the Observatory, and not to 
suggest to or advise with the Trustees; — the Council 
not the Counsel. 

The first of Mr. Olcott's propositions was to place the 
Observatory immediately and entirely in Dr. Gould's 
charge, subject only to the Scientific Council in scien- 
tific matters ; provided he would bring two assistants 
with him, and provided all would labor without ex- 
pense to the Observatory; Mr. Olcott guaranteeing at 
the same time that the small amount necessary for 
mounting the instruments and the indispensable equip- 
ments should be furnished. 

When it is recollected that the Council had declared 
that with a less income than $10,000 the Observatory 
could not, even with the most rigid economy, be sup- 
ported in the manner intended by the Trustees, it may 
be a matter of surprise that they concluded to take 
charge of it with an income of scarcely one-third of that 
amount, and this, too, actually mortgaged at the time for 
two years, thus rendering it certain that the Institution 
must be carried on mainly by private contributions, or 
that all labor must be voluntary. We regarded the 
5 



contract of January as giving us the means of using 
Dr. Gould's extraordinary talents and precision in such 
ways as by their fruits to induce new donations to the 
Observatory. We knew that his generous and zealous 
character was appreciated by his assistants in the longi- 
tude party of the Coast Survey, and that they would 
join him as volunteers in the great cause of astronomical 
science. The arrangement was the best which, under 
the circumstances, could be made, and we were willing 
to abide by it. Before it could be consummated we 
were somewhat surprised to find that the appointment 
of the Scientific Council by the donors and others, in 
1855, had not been ratified by the Board. So loosely 
had the concerns of the Board up to this time been 
conducted, that we were actually acting as a Council, 
corresponding with and meeting the members of the 
Board and of the Executive Committee, brought promi- 
nently before the public at the inauguration festival 
as responsible for the scientific concerns of the Institu- 
tion, allowing donations to be solicited and made by 
the use of our names as a Scientific Council, and yet 
we had never been elected " at a regular meeting of 
the Board." The public will thus have some insight 
into the mode of doing business by the Trustees, and 
will pardon us as scientific men if we have looked less 
closely to the form than to the substance of our appoint- 
ment, and had believed ourselves formally in charge 
of the scientific concerns of the Institution. At the 
instance of Mr. Olcott, we had actually accompanied 
members of the Board in the city of New-York to 
solicit contributions to the Observatory, aud had ap- 
peared formally before the underwriters to invoke 
their aid. 



35 

The resolutions of the Board at this time confirmed 
our appointment as a Scientific Council, and ratified 
the proposition of Mr. Olcott, to which we have just 
referred. 

The Scientific Council also ratified this compact, but 
in ratifying it felt bound to correct a supposed acci- 
dental error or want of precision in the statement of 
the Trustees' resolution. At their meeting in Philadel- 
phia on the 8th of February, 1858, they passed a reso- 
lution declaring that the acceptance by Dr. Bache of 
Mr. Olcott's proposition, was made by him in behalf 
of the Scientific Council of the Dudley Observatory, 
and not in his capacity of Superintendent of the U. S. 
Coast Survey. 

The Council understood that this arrangement pledged 
the Trustees and Council mutually for at least two 
years, for which time the income of the Institution had 
already been anticipated, and we proceeded accordingly. 
That the moral obligation is with' us we believe, and 
that this is a contract which morally, and, we think, 
legally binds the Board and Council. That the Trus- 
tees should take advantage of their own wrong, and in 
ratifying our appointment should seek by resolution to 
abridge our powers, is clearly against the principles of 
law and morality. 

The alleged* " alarming peculiarities of Dr. Gould" 
do not, in our view, justify the action of the Board in 
breaking this arrangement without our and his consent. 

Mrs. Dudley s Grift. — In his letter to Professor Bache 
of December 19, 1857, Mr. Olcott says: 

" But the donation of Mrs. Dudley is not to be encroached 
upon, beyond what has already been done, which may consume its 
next two years' 1 income.'''' 



• 36 

In the second column of Mr. Olcott's recent docu- 
ment, he says : 

" Excepting a few hundred dollars for mounting the instru- 
ments we should have no money to disburse for two years to 
come, as we could not encroach upon our invested fund of 
$50,000 given by Mrs. Dudley." 

At the conclusion of the same document, Mr. Olcott 
says : 

" We have, unencroached upon, the endowment of Mrs. Dud- 
ley of $50,000. 

Has Mrs. Dudley's donation been encroached upon, 
or not 1 If yes, by what authority ? If no, where is 
the income 1 

11. Money Matters, — Application to Trustees. — Private 
Resources, Sfc. — After stating that Dr. Gould had applied 
for a new dome, and had asked for more than $3800 
for mounting instruments — an assertion which we have 
shown, under the head of " Loose Statements," to be 
entirely inaccurate — Mr. Olcott says that the Trustees 
have allowed of this sum " every dollar asked for sci- 
entific purposes," and " several hundred dollars for the 
personal comfort and convenience of Dr. Gould." 

Mr. Olcott continues : " And yet, in the face of these 
facts, he says, in a letter of May 31st, that he has been 
obliged to advance, from his own private resources, the 
necessary means for the operations of the Observatory, 
and without aid, thus far, from the Trustees." Now we 
ask, do the facts disprove Dr. Gould's allegations ? or 
does not Mr. Olcott know the difference between the 
" operations of the Observatory" and the mounting of 



37 

instruments 1 Dr. Gould has, since his removal to 
Albany in February, actually advanced from his own 
resources, or become individually responsible for, the 
sum of more than §3000 for the operations of the Ob- 
servatory ; and the only sums received thus far from 
the Trustees, are for mounting the instruments and for 
arranging the premises. Dr. Gould was actually obliged 
to devote to the end of carrying on the Observatory 
the receipts of his labor in the work of the Chile Astro- 
nomical expedition, in which he was called upon, in a 
manner so honorable to him- and to the chief of the 
expedition, to take part. When the premises were first 
occupied by his assistants, they were obliged to perform 
all domestic offices of every kind for themselves. The 
balance of the sum appropriated for determining longi- 
tude, estimated at 81400, was actually promised toward 
the support of the Observatory, but has not, up to this 
time, been devoted to that purpose. The promise was 
made by the President of the Board, in presence of 
one of the Council. Having been denied access to the 
minutes of the Board, we cannot say that no resolution 
has been passed, appropriating this money to observa- 
tory purposes ; but we can say that none has been 
communicated to Dr. Gould. The statements are not 
fallacious, as alleged by Mr. Olcott. Dr. Gould is 
carrying on the operations of the Observatory, at a rate 
of not less than 8150 a month from his own 'private 
means. It is ungenerous enough to permit this, but 
worse than ungenerous to deny the fact, 

It will be recollected that Dr. Gould's letter is to the 
Trustees, and that he was addressing a reminder to 
that body, and not making a charge to the public, and 



38 



this, too, after irritations had come thick and fast upon 
him. 

We have carefully examined the allegation of Mr. 
Olcott, that Dr. Gould had asked for more than $3,800 
since his removal to Albany in February, and that the 
Trustees had " allowed every dollar asked for in aid of 
scientific purposes, and several hundred dollars for the 
personal comfort and convenience of Dr. Gould," and 
we find as follows : 

Dr. Gould has, in addition to recommending the 
mode of distribution of this promised balance of the 
longitude - appropriation (earned for the Observatory 
chiefly by his own exertions and those of his assist- 
ants), and of which none of the items were allowed, 
excepting $500 for mounting and bringing into use 
the meridian-circle and calculating-engine, made the 
following recommendations on pecuniary subjects : 

1. For casing the piers he asked leave to incur the 
necessary expenses, which he estimated at $300, but 
desired a margin of 30 per cent. This was, after some 
dela}^, allowed. 

2. For digging a well, building a fence and render- 
ing the Observatory accessible by a plank walk (Alba- 
nians will understand its necessity), he recommended 
an appropriation of $270 with a margin of 20 per cent. 
This was voted with the condition that its expenditure 
be placed in the hands of a special sub-committee. 

3. He announced to the Trustees that he had engaged 
Mr. Richard Bygate to take charge of the premises at 
$700 a year, and was ready to meet the outlay in case 
the Board should not approve his course. They have 
not been willing to meet this outlay. 



39 

4. That the bills yet due of Messrs. Farmer and 
Polsey for orders given in 1856, by direction of Mr. 
Olcott, be paid. Then amount was $258.98, and when 
the officers of the Board declined immediate compli- 
ance, the payment was promptly made by Dr. Gould 
himself, and refunded some weeks later by the Trus- 
tees. 

5. That the batteries for supporting the seven sym- 
pathetic dials for the only two astronomical clocks 
owned by the Observatory, and for driving one of these 
clocks, be provided. The cost he estimated at $110. 

6. He has asked the payment of some bills for' rare 
old astronomical books secured by the wish of Mr. 
Olcott, at European sales, previous to his removing to 
Albany. The exact sum is not at hand. 

The only outlays which we find capable of being 
considered as intended to contribute to the personal 
comfort of Dr. Gould, are : 1st. The sum of $78.69 
paid by him in April for digging a well and obtaining 
water, and which was afterwards refunded. 2d. The 
rendering the roof watertight, which only took place 
within the last four or Jive weeks. 3d. The building of 
a fence (Dr. Gould himself had put up one), and 
4th. The laying of a line of planks to render the Ob- 
servatory accessible in bad weather. 

We submit whether such expenditures justify Mr. 
Olcott in his sneers at the Director, who has been 
laboring so assiduously in the cause of the Observatory. 

We shall return to this subject when we come to 
speak more fully of the annoyances to which Dr. Gould 
has been subjected by the Trustees and their Execu- 
tive Committee. 



40 

If the available means of the Observatory have not 
been consumed, why have they not been put at Dr. 
Gould's disposal ? 

12. Payment of % unauthorized demands.- — It is true 
that the outlays requisite for carrying on the Observa- 
tory have not been authorized by the Trustees, and 
also that they have been uncomplainingly paid by Dr. 
Gould, from such resources as he and his friends could 
command. How this can be distorted into a ground 
of censure we cannot comprehend. That they w^ere 
not "unnecessary" as Mr. Olcott asserts, may be 
inferred from their objects; among which were the 
furnishing of the entire house and office, the means of 
lighting and heating, stationery, the salaries and pay 
for care of premises, the superintendence of the grounds 
and the Observatory building, the pay of the assistant 
who has had charge of the Calculating Engine, of the 
messenger and mail carrier, the making of a road, the 
laying out of grounds, the purchase of computing- 
tables, star-charts, and other works of reference, the 
constantly needed small repairs, &c, &c. 

We consider that these facts prove a shameful neg- 
lect of duty on the part of the Trustees, and only 
wonder at this unauthorized liberality on the part of 
Di\ Gould, considering the limited extent of his pe- 
cuniary means. 

13. " Gross and deliberate insults!'— Mr. Olcott next 
proceeds to his charge of " gross and deliberate insults 
to the Trustees," — in order to discuss which very fully 
we propose following the correspondence of Dr. Gould 
with the Trustees, as contained in his printed pamphlet. 



41 

On the 21st of January, two days after the compact 
with the Council had been formally ratified, Dr. Gould 
addressed the Trustees (see letter A of Correspon- 
dence), applying for permission to use the promised 
appropriation of $1400 for mounting the instruments, 
furnishing the dwelling-house and office, bringing the 
calculating machine into use, and for stationery, fuel, 
lights and books. 

We have already shown that the charges made by 
Mr. Olcott against Dr. Gould, contained in the next 
following paragraphs of his statement, are not correct ; 
that Dr. Gould did not ask for a new dome, as alleged 
by Mr. Olcott, and that he had actually been support- 
ing the Observatory from his own private resources — 
a statement which Mr. Olcott pronounces fallacious. 
Following the correspondence between the officers of 
the Board of Trustees and the Director, which is in 
print in the hands of many of you, we proceed to show 
that " every dollar asked for [by Dr. Gould] in aid of sci- 
entific pm-poses " was not granted, as alleged by Mr. 
Olcott, and that Dr. Gould's statements of these matters 
in his letter of March 31st are not "fallacious" but 
correct 

The appropriations were not only not made until 
March, but were ingeniously contrived not to meet Dr. 
Gould's estimates. He had recommended the mount- 
ing of the meridian- circle, and estimated the cost at 
$300 ; also of the small Coast Survey transit, at a cost 
of $50. The Trustees appropriated $300 for mounting 
the meridian-circle, and $150 for mounting the large 
transit instrument of the Coast Survey, the putting-up 
of which he had not recommended, because, as he said, 



42 

"the other items seem to have a prior claim." The 
Secretary of the Trustees writes that "the Trustees 
could not authorize the other expenditures for furnish- 
ing the house, etc., proposed in Dr. Gould's letter of 
Jan. 21st, until the appropriation of $2,000 from the 
State shall have been secured." Now, was any farther 
appropriation made, after $1,000 of the State appropri- 
ation had actually been passed over by the Regents to 
the Trustees 1 Dr. Gould addresses the Board in a 
respectful explanatory letter on March 4th as follows : 

You are aware that, in the absence of any appropriation 
by your Board or authority from its officers, no means have 
been or are available for the earliest preliminary steps ; such 
as the purchase of furniture, fuel, illumination, or stationery; 
that no provision has been made for care of premises, or the 
requisite manual labor; and that the scanty furniture of the 
dwelling house and office, the fuel, and the numerous outlays 
incident to the enterprise, are necessarily at the expense of 
the undersigned. It is of high importance, if not indispen- 
sable to a successful prosecution of the work, that some fit 
person should be placed in charge of the premises, to assume 
the care and supervision of the house and grounds, and I have 
given much time to the endeavor to secure the services of a 
proper person, but thus far have found no satisfactory one 
whose employment would be within my power. I should be 
glad to learn from the Trustees or their representatives, their 
views of the course most proper for me to adopt, with regard 
to this and similar points — being alike anxious to conform 
entirely to their wishes, to assume no improper authority, and 
to evade no responsibility. Having undertaken both to carry 
on the Observatory, and to determine its meridian, with such 
aid as is furnished by the legislative appropriation, although 
this is not more than adequate for the latter object alone, 
your Scientific Council will spare no exertions to fulfil the 
spirit as well as the letter of their obligation to the Trustees. 



43 

But it is most certain that this class of expenditures were not 
anticipated or considerecBlby the Council, who had in mind 
only the fulfilment of the scientific duties, after the construc- 
tion and equipment should have been completed. * # # 

Whatever the views of the Trustees upon these questions 
may be, I should be glad to learn them, and shall endeavor to 
govern my course by reference to them. 

It had been my intention to present the substance of these 
few remarks to your Board at its recent meeting, but being 
uninformed of the time at which it was to take place, this 
was impossible for me. I have therefore requested your 
President to convene the Executive Committee, of whose ap- 
pointment I have indirectly been informed, trusting that it 
may thus be possible for me to arrive at a better understand- 
ing of your wishes and views. 

To this respectful and explanatory letter no reply was 
given, and the exclusion of Dr. Gould from the meetings 
of the Executive Committee, and of the Board, has 
deprived him of the opportunity to make such personal 
explanation as might have enforced his written state- 
ments. 

Votes of the Executive Committee were communi- 
cated to Dr. Gould, by the Secretary, on the ninth of 
March, showing that the Committee had actually met ;. 
but no notice was given of any action relating to the 
casing of the piers, and the cost of bringing the Calcu- 
lating-Engine into use — though the former was among 
the items which Dr. Gould had stated in January to be- 
necessary to the mounting of the circle, and the sum- 
which the latter would cost had been stated in hi& 
estimates. When Dr t Gould called upon the President,, 
in his letter of March 10th, in reference to this matter,, 
the Secretary of the Trustees, Dr. Armsby, replies thatr 
he " inadvertently omitted to send " him the resolutions 



44 

relating to it ; so that, had not Dr. Gould made his 
appeal, the action of the Committee would not have 
been known to him, the piers might to this day be 
without essential covering, and the Calculating Machine, 
by which the true anomaly of Mars has already been 
computed, might still be unused. Such an omission by 
a Secretary might be called by a less mild term than 
inadvertence. 

The letter of the individual Trustees — which includes 
the names of seven out of eight of the Board who sub- 
sequently voted against Dr. Gould, viz. : Thomas W. 
Olcott, Isaac W. Vosburgh, William H. De Witt, J. H. 
Armsby, Alden March, S. H. Eansom and John N- 
Wilder — shows, in our judgement, a most extraordinary 
spirit of intermeddling. It was not sufficient that Joseph 
McGeough should impede the progress of organization, 
by occupying rooms in the Observatory building which 
were needed for the scientific operations, but his irregu- 
lar conduct and his annoyance of Dr. Gould were sus- 
tained ; and this, though in his kindness of heart Dr. 
Gould had offered McGeough pecuniary aid towards 
covering the expense to which his removal might subject 
him. This occupancy, which continued until May 1, 
actually debarred the astronomers from the use of the 
whole of the basement rooms of the Observatory, needed 
for the batteries, clocks, storage, &c. 

Up to this time (April) there was no well, and water 
had to be carried up the hill for all domestic purposes 
from the pumps in Van Woert-street ; there was no 
plank walk to render the Observatory accessible, al- 
though the approach to it is, for a great part of the dis- 
tance, up a steep day bank, destitute even of a grass 



45 

sod; and while the frost was leaving the ground, as it 
was during the months of February and March, the 
weight of the body often plunged the feet five or six 
inches deep in miry clay. The fences were not com- 
pleted ; the drain and sewer of the house were unfin- 
ished, and the coating of the roof was defective ; no 
janitor or person to take care of the premises had 
been furnished by the Trustees ; and finally,, instead of 
committing these matters to Dr. Gould, a sub-committee 
was actually appointed " to supervise the improvements 
proposed by Dr. Gould." The matter of furnishing the 
house, the salary of janitor, &c., was referred to a com- 
mittee, of whose action the Director has never been ad- 
vised, if indeed they have ever acted at all. The leaking 
of the roof of the house continued; and on the 12th of 
April, Dr. Gould addressed the President in regard to 
it, and the injury to the building and discomfort to the 
occupants were only remedied by proper repairs about 
the 25th of that month. The longitude-operations 
which the Superintendent of the Coast Survey had 
agreed to make were actually delayed, and additional 
expense in regard to them necessarily occasioned by a 
vote of the Executive Committee, that the operations 
should be paid for after they were completed, instead 
of making an advance to meet the expenses as they 
were occurring. This was remedied but not until delay 
and unnecessary expense had been caused. Mr. Olcott 
treats this in his letter of April 29 as a " misunder- 
standing," and possibly it was such, but it was an unfor- 
tunate one. The final votes of the committee were 
only extracted from the tardy Secretary by an applica- 
tion from Dr. Gould on the Thursday after their Mon- 
day's meeting. 



46 

At this time occurred one of the incidents in the his- 
tory of this meddling, which if not unprecedented, is 
certainly most reprehensible. The Executive Committee 
met, and without consulting the Director, or any mem- 
ber of the Scientific Council ; threw open the grounds 
of the Observatory to the public ; directed the Treasurer 
to procure duplicate keys to the Observatory ; and re- 
quested Dr. Gould to place one set in his dwelling-house 
" for the sole and exclusive use of the Trustees ;" so that 
while Dr. Gould was held responsible for the care of the 
Observatory and its instruments, he was to be deprived 
of the power of effective control. To understand this 
high-handed step we must look back to the occurrence 
of a few preceding days, and forward to the fourth reso- 
lution adopted at this time, which was this : 

11 Resolved, That Dr. Gould be officially requested, through 
the Secretary of the Board, to instruct the boys and young 
men, who, as employees of the Coast Survey, are under his 
direction, that the Institution was endowed to a great extent 
through the efforts and by the munificence of private individ- 
uals residing in this city, and that the labor of securing the 
construction of its buildings, and their present equipments, 
has principally been performed here, and that it is largely de- 
pendent upon the friends of Astronomical science in this vi- 
cinity for its future progress and usefulness. And that here- 
after the Board of Trustees will require for themselves per- 
sonally, and for all persons visiting the Observatory, the 
candor, courtesy and civility everywhere essential, but espe- 
cially so in an Institution which originated in the most 
generous and disinterested intentions, and which can only 
accomplish the work of its founders by securing in every 
legitimate way, and so deserving, the popular favor and sup- 
port." 

We shall not hesitate to speak plainly in this matter. 
It is thus slurred over by Mr. Olcott : 



47 

" Without noticing the many unpleasant indications of the 
state of feeling at the Observatory, the Executive Committee 
(composed of nine of the Trustees), felt called upon to rebuke 
recent gross and deliberate insults offered by Dr. Gould, 
through his youthful subordinates to three of our Trustees. 
The Trustees had, in visiting the Observatory in the discharge 
of their duties, been refused admittance, the door closed in 
their faces, and otherwise treated with insolence, prevarication 
and falsehood. 

" This Board, I know, cannot be shaken in its abiding con- 
fidence in the truthfulness, honorable intentions and gentle- 
manly deportment of the Trustees referred to, by whomsoever 
they may be secretly lampooned or openly traduced." 

If we suppose, which is not correct, that gross and 
deliberate insults were offered by the young gentlemen 
to the Trustees, is Br. Gould to be held responsible for 
this ? The answer is, Yes, if he justifies it. But Mr. 
Olcott says : " The committee felt called upon to rebuke 
recent gross and deliberate insults offered by Dr. Gould 
through his youthful subordinates !" To rebuke it before 
it was reported to Dr. Gould, before in fact he knew 
anything of the circumstances ! Such hasty action is 
surely unbecoming, and so is this charge, to make which 
Mr. Olcott is obliged to ignore the order of time and 
the reasonable limits of official responsibility. 

The insults offered by Dr. Gould are the insults 
alleged to have been offered by his " youthful subordi- 
nates." Who are these youthful subordinates thus 
rebuked by the Executive Committee and by Mr. 
Olcott ? Four aids in the Coast Survey of the United 
States — remarkable for their attainments in science — for 
their industry, zeal and devotion to astronomical occu- 
pations, — young men who have received careful training 
in their families, and of high moral and religious princi- 



48 

pies, of gentlemanly deportment and amiable manners. 
We appeal to Mr. De Witt, one of the nine Trustees, if 
be does not personally know this to be true of the young 
gentleman who was said to be foremost in offering these 
insults ? Their conduct and character, public and pri- 
vate, have hitherto been unimpeached. If they want 
years, that is a fault which time will be sure to mend. 
The law declares them to be men ; but even were they 
as young as Mr. Olcott asserts, we have no sympathy 
with the sneers of the Executive Committee against 
youth. These sneers cannot be justified, even by the 
mature age of those from whom they come. The honor 
and reputation of these young men are as dear to them, 
to the Director, to the Scientific Council, to their parents, 
relatives and friends as that of any sexagenarian among 
us. We challenge the city of Albany to produce four 
young men more exemplary in their characters, or excel- 
lent in their attainments. 

What was their position ? Earning from the govern- 
ment by scientific labor a mere pittance, by labor con- 
tinued through so many hours of the day that it has 
been adjudged throughout the world to be a day's full 
task, they nevertheless volunteered to assist Dr. Gould 
in hi3 gratuitous and severe toil at the Dudley Obser- 
vatory. Receiving no support from the Observatory, 
barely provided with a place to shelter themselves and 
essential by its proximity to the Observatory to the 
execution of work by night or by day, with no comforts 
or luxuries of furniture or appliances of domestic life 
provided at the cost of the Trustees, at least the indepen- 
dence of their position should have been acknowledged 
by the Board, and they should have been treated with 



49 

gentlemanly mildness and courtesy, perhaps even with 
some indications of sympathy and regard which might 
serve as a recognition of their noble zeal and disinterest- 
edness. No rude remark, no criticism of the conduct of 
their friend Dr. Gould, no haughty assumption of con- 
trast of position should have been used by the visiting 
Trustees. A smile rather than a rude rebuke should 
have followed any exhibition of irritation or hasty tem- 
per, consequent upon the generous impulses of youth in 
defence of their preceptor and friend. We have only 
the ex parte statements of the assistants themselves, 
except in one case, where the Trustee's own account of 
his conduct was such as to condemn him in the eyes of 
the friend to whom he related it. The Trustees seem 
to have forgotten that these young gentlemen were not 
their paid employees, and that the office of showman, 
although constantly and courteously discharged by 
them, formed no part of the duties which they had so 
generously and nobly volunteered to perform. The 
visiting Trustees had no right to accost them as they 
did, making demands upon them which should have 
been addressed to the Director, if to any one. Had the 
assistants been salaried as astronomers by the institution, 
their treatment by Messrs. Armsby, Wilder and Pruyn 
would have been indefensible, and the vote of the Trus- 
tees entirely inexcusable. We should have been glad 
had the Trustees enabled us to look at the other side, 
but they have declined to do this. We can therefore 
only say that, as far as we understand the case, the rude- 
ness was on the part of the visiting Trustees, and not of 
the "juvenile subordinates," and that the conduct of the 
latter was remarkably discreet and exemplary. Dr. Arms- 



50 

by and Mr. Wilder should have gone into, the Observato- 
ry with Dr. Gould when he offered to show them into it, 
and not have waited his absence to endeavor to effect an 
entrance. Dr. Armsby and Mr. Pruyn, instead of urging 
admittance at a time when Dr. Gould was not on the 
premises, should have taken care by a suitable notice to 
secure his presence when they called. Their communi- 
cation with the assistants was an unseemly act of itself, 
and the demands made were still more unseemly. There 
is no evidence before us that the Trustees were "refused 
admittance," or " the doors closed in their faces ;" and 
to the contrary we have positive testimony. That they 
were treated with "insolence, prevarication and false- 
hood" is untrue. Such charges against gentlemen of 
any age require the strongest proof, and, unless that 
proof is submitted, the accuser must meet the deserved 
reprobation. No such proof has been furnished by Mr. 
Olcott. Insolence, prevarication and falsehood are not 
in accordance with the character of these young men, 
and we pronounce the charge baseless. They are, we 
are sure, such young men as the citizens of Albany would 
be proud to have as friends and acquaintances for their 
sons, and as examples of a virtuous, studious, hard-work- 
ing, youthful career. "We appeal to the citizens not to 
let this high-handed oppression of youth pass without 
the most scathing rebuke. 

14. The Extraordinary Letter of May 31st. — Mr. 
Olcott continues : 

"The resolutions of the Committee relative to the insults 
offered to the Trustees, drew from Dr. Gould the extraordinary 
letter before referred to, of May 3lst. In this letter Dr. Gould 
asks the Committee to rescind the resolutions, refuses to unite 
with the Trustees in preparing rules and regulations for admis- 



51 

sion to the Observatory, declines to instruct his young men to 
treat visitors with civility, and expresses surprise at resolutions 
so "improper and unjust," He even eulogizes as "gentle- 
men" as "astronomers " as patron saints of the Institution — 
" his young aspirants," not one of whom are probably out of 
their teens. This letter affords sufficient justification for termina- 
ting his relations with this Institution, unless arrogance, insolence 
and conceit are suited to the taste of gentlemen of this 
Board." 

By this " extraordinary letter" of Dr. Gould he may 
well be content to be judged. It is a model of a plain, 
direct, manly, independent statement. Tyrants only 
object to such addresses. The angry President concludes 
that " Uiis letter affords sufficient justification for ter- 
minating Ms relations %oitli this Institution, unless arro- 
gance, insolence and conceit are suited to the taste of 
gentlemen of this Board." The letter is at hand, fellow 
citizens ; you have read it. If the Trustees have placed 
a right construction upon it, it has been erroneously 
construed by us. 

We can see only a proper appeal to a committee who 
have passed resolutions injurious, in Dr. Gould's view, 
to the interests of the Observatory, and insulting to his 
assistants. If he had failed to ask a reconsideration 
from the Committee, he would have failed in his duty. 
The Committee had, unheard, condemned his associates 
a foreshadowing of the action of the Board subsequently 
in his own case. He appeals mildly to the Committee, 
but their temper permits no such appeal to have effect. 
The President now insults, more grossly than before, 
these young men, " not one of whom are probably out 
of their teens," even inventing epithets for Dr. Gould 
to give point to his sneers against " the patron saints of 



52 

the institution," as he absurdly alleges they were called. 
Alas, what a spectacle of the injustice to which temper 
leads ! No difference of age, no d inference of position, 
is permitted to shield these excellent young men from 
the crushing sarcasm of the mature but angry President 
of the Board. 

We will, if Mr. Olcott chooses, advise Dr. Gould to 
submit his case to any impartial tribunal, upon this 
letter, and to vacate his place without a struggle, if it is 
decided, as Mr. Olcott asserts, that " This letter affords 
sufficient justification for terminating his relations with 
this Institution." That the " arrogance and insolence 
and conceit " of this letter are not there, you, fellow- 
citizens, will readily see. The arrogance and conceit 
which induce a man of finance to undertake to pronounce 
an astronomer ignorant of his profession, show why 
and how far he is incompetent to judge of this letter. 
If we also consider his temper — the exhibition of which 
in this letter of charges, is in remarkable contrast with 
that shown by Dr. Gould in his letters — the case against 
Mr. Olcott becomes conclusive. If this letter was ade- 
quate cause for Dr. Gould's removal,, why not remove 
him upon it? Why go to the length of trumping 
up a series of frivolous, absurd and malignant charges 
against him ? It would have been meeting Dr. Gould 
in a manly spirit had Mr. Olcott preferred charges on 
this letter before the Council,, and demanded upon this 
Dr. Gould's dismissal. 

In what portion of this letter Mr. Olcott would find 
justification for terminating relations with Dr. Gould is 
inconceivable to us ; and it is not wonderful that he did 
not attempt, by argument or resolution, to vindicate his 



53 

assertion to those of his associates whom he controls 
with such absolute sway. Is it to be found in the 
highly dignified and respectful array of argument, with 
which Dr. Gould meets the unguarded and intemperate 
resolutions of the Trustees, and without a harsh or im- 
proper word shows their absolute inconsistency with the 
scientific conduct of the Observatory ? Was it that he 
did not understand his position, and submit with the 
cringing humility of a servant to the first intimation of 
his master ? 

The first resolution, which claims that the land of the 
Observatory, which was devoted by General Van Kens- 
selaer to the service of astronomy, shall be daily opened 
as a place of popular amusement, and given up with 
unconstrained freedom to noisy sports, is absurd. To 
condemn Dr. Gould for his quiet and simple remon- 
strance to this absurd proposition, comes with an ill- 
grace from one who has, with extreme care, protected 
his own princely estate from the intrusion of the eye of a 
passing stranger. We sustain Dr. Gould's equally calm 
reply to the second resolution of the Trustees, which 
would deprive the Director of the exclusive power of 
admitting and rejecting unofficial visitors. The Trustees 
can bring no good authority in support of this claim, 
which is entirely incompatible with the administration 
of a well regulated institution ; and even in the poor 
instance cited by Mr. Wilder, in which a public observa- 
tory seems to have been offered as a place of amusement, 
the offer came from the Director and not from a superior 
authority. But in this portion of Dr. Gould's letter the 
Council read the most convincing assurances of his desire 
to grant every possible facility for the gratification of a 



54 

laudable curiosity ; and so far is the letter, in this respect, 
from giving the foundation of a complaint against him, 
that, combined with our knowledge of his character, it 
is a warrant for the claim that the Observatory, under 
his direction, would be preeminently distinguished for 
the intellectual profit which it would freely give to its 
visiters. 

To the third resolution, with its studied sneers, the 
reply of Dr. Gould was necessarily firm and decisive. 
The demand that " at any and all hours any of the 
Trustees should have free access " to the Observatory, 
" with or without friends," — involving, perhaps, an 
equally free access to his private dwelling-house, in 
which the duplicate keys were to be deposited "for the 
sole and exclusive use of the Trustees," will probably be 
decided against them by the public, which is not yet 
ready to sustain such an inquisitorial and despotic reso- 
lution, and our chief wonder is that the Director could 
reply to it with such an undisturbed equanimity of tem- 
per. The final resolution in which the young men of 
the Observatory are spoken of as boys, and the Director 
is requested to address them in words which involve re- 
buke and censure, at least, if not insult, is declined by 
Dr. Gould with a gentlemanly dignity which we strongly 
approve, while we also sympathize with his honorable 
recognition of their services, and cordially unite in it. 

In conclusion, we declare that this letter, which Mr. 
Olcott condemns, meets our hearty approbation and 
full concurrence. 



55 

15. The Clocks and Chronographs. — loys for juve- 
nile companions and visiters. 

The Corning Clock. — The attempt to make Dr. Gould 
responsible for the non-arrival of the normal sidereal 
clock, is truly preposterous. He has written repeatedly 
to the maker, and the delay in its completion has borne 
more hardly upon the Director than upon any one else. 

The Clock of Messrs. Blunt. — Mr. Olcott alleges that 
" the beautiful clock given by the Messrs. Blunt, of New- 
York, was not acceptable to Dr. Gould, but he expressed 
a wish that they would take it back and give something 
else in its place." Will it be believed that this " unac- 
ceptable" present of the Messrs. Blunt is actually so 
much prized by Dr. Gould that he has used it in the 
stead of the Normal Clock? We have seen this noble 
time-piece filling this important place in the Dudley 
Observatory. 

Electrical Clocks. — We come now to the consideration 
of the clocks constructed by direction of Dr. Gould, and 
pronounced by Mr. Olcott " useless only as toys for the 
entertainment of his juvenile companions, and of visi- 
tors." 

It is well known to those who have acquaintance with 
the history of Astronomy that the application of elec- 
tricity to astronomical purposes, and especially to the 
recording of observations, is an American invention. 
It has been developed and applied extensively in con- 
nection with the Coast Survey operations under the late 
Sears C. Walker and Dr. Gould, and it was expected by 
astronomers that the Dudley Observatory would furnish 
the most perfect arrangements of this application yet 
devised. 



56 

It was therefore the earnest desire of Dr. Gould and 
of the Scientific Council that this part of the Observa- 
tory equipment should be of the most elaborate descrip- 
tion, and furnish another forward step in the lt American 
method." For this purpose Dr. Gould, after much 
thought, devised a system of clocks and dials to carry 
out the essential requisites of the plan. New combina- 
tions of clock-mechanism were required for this pur- 
pose ; and with the assistance of Mr. Farmer, one of the 
most ingenious mechanicians of our day, the desired 
result has been accomplished. The system consists of 
two classes of clocks, which are intended for quite dif- 
ferent purposes. The one class belongs to the exclusive 
astronomical conduct of the Observatory, and the other 
is for the transmission of time-signals to distant places 
and their reception there. The regulator of the first is 
to be the normal sidereal clock, the means for purchasing 
which was provided by the liberality of Mr. Corning. 
It is true this clock has not yet been received; but 
all who are acquainted with the tardiness with which 
orders of this kind are filled might have attributed the 
delay to some more probable and certainly more chari- 
table cause than the negligence of Dr. Gould. It is cer- 
tainly strange that he should be censured for completing 
all the other arrangements, so that nothing should be 
wanting when the standard clock arrived, to put the 
system immediately in operation. Meanwhile through 
the kindness of his friends, the Messrs. Blunt, a clock 
has been lent the Observatory, temporarily to supply 
the place of the one not yet received. And this clock, — 
so far from being rejected by Dr. Gould, as Mr. Olcott's 
remarks would imply, — has been in constant, active ser- 



57 

vice since the work of the Observatory commenced. 
The standard clock is to be placed in the basement, im- 
bedded in masonry, to obviate as far as possible the 
effects of changes of temperature, and protected by a 
case, by which the moisture is excluded and prevented 
from affecting the delicacy of the workmanship. But 
though unseen itself, it transmits by means of the electric 
current, tick by tick, its measurement of time to three 
dials, (not separate clocks as Mr. Olcott would lead his 
readers to suppose,) placed in the three principal observ- 
ing rooms of the building. Dependent upon the side- 
real time obtained by astronomical observation is the 
series of dials which indicate the mean, or ordinary solar, 
time of the Observatory. The pendulum for this pur- 
pose is itself sustained in motion by galvanic agency, 
and also regulates three dials in different parts of the 
establishment, beside the great marble Dial of the en- 
trance hall, known as the Corning clock. 

The other system, intended for communicating time- 
signals, consists of two parts, one designed for transmis- 
sion of the signal and the other attached to the distant 
clock for its automatic adjustment at the moment when 
the signal is received. 

A part of this machinery has been placed in one of 
the rooms in the dwelling-house for more easy observa- 
tion of the working of the system, and the remainder 
is kept constantly in action, in order to make any correc- 
tions which experience may deem necessary. We must 
confess that we are somewhat surprised that Mr. Olcott 
should say these clocks are " useless only as toys for the 
entertainment of Dr. Gould's juvenile companions and 
of visitors," when it may be gathered from all his re- 
7 



58 

marks that the most important object of the Observa- 
tory is, in his judgement to excite popular wonder. 

It must be evident to the observant reader, from the 
whole tenor of Mr. Olcott's remarks, that the Executive 
Committee consider themselves fully equal to the task 
of conducting the astronomical work of the Observatory 
themselves; that, not content with the financial manage" 
ment of the establishment, they attempt to assume the 
direction of the astronomical operations ; that Dr. Gould 
and the Scientific Council are merely a part of the 
machinery of the establishment, to be directed and ope- 
rated upon in order to produce results corresponding 
with the peculiar notions of the Trustees. It is to be 
regretted that the Trustees were not more explicit in 
the beginning in regard to their views and intentions. 
The Scientific Council supposed that they were to have 
the sole direction of the scientific part of the establish- 
ment. They placed full reliance in the statements of Mr. 
Olcott and the other member of the Executive Commit- 
tee, that they were aware they had no knowledge of 
astronomy, and that they desired to be entirely guided 
by the advice of the Council in astronomical matters. It 
would, however, now appear that these were mere rheto- 
rical expressions, intended to exalt the importance of 
their knowledge by a show of modesty, and that the real 
object of the election of a Scientific Council was to parade 
them forth on special occasions, and like the supernu- 
meraries of a mock theatrical procession, to give tinsel 
dignity to the pageant. 

This might be compatible with the views of Mr. 
Olcott and his colleagues, but it was far from the con- 
ceptions of the members of the Scientific Council, and 



59 

neither their self-respect nor their ideas of the true 
advancement of science would have permitted them for 
a moment to lend their names to such a system of folly 
and absurdity. The Trustees ought to be aware of the 
fact that in attempting to establish a great institution, 
and in calling the attention of the whole civilized world 
to their efforts, they have involved the reputation of the 
Scientific Council, of the city of Albany, and of the whole 
United States. They should, farther, be aware that 
there is a graver consideration than that of simply ren- 
dering ridiculous all connected with the establishment ; 
namely, the moral effect which will be sure to follow an 
abortive attempt of this kind, preventing future donations 
for founding scientific establishments in our country. It 
is not only that the generous gifts of Mrs. Dudley and the 
other liberal contributors will be worse than squandered 
should the present course be insisted on, but that all con- 
fidence in the ability of Boards of Trustees to manage 
affairs of this kind will be seriously impaired, if not 
destroyed. 

16. The Transit Instrument. — We agree with Dr. 
Gould, that under the present circumstances of the 
Observatory it was not desirable to mount the large 
transit-instrument. The small one already mounted is 
adequate to give time for the regular operations of the 
institution, and for the other purposes for which it is 
now employed. To expose the first-named costly instru- 
ment to injury, by mounting it before it is to be used, is 
not expedient. The means, too, must obviously be taken 
from some other purpose, which, as Dr. Gould correctly 
stated in his letter to the Executive Committee, should 
take precedence of this. While the Observatory is not 



60 

only deficient in means, but has very few assistants for 
observing and computing, the addition of an instrument 
which is not indispensable is to be avoided. The sug- 
gestions of Dr. Gould were judicious, they tended to 
economy and efficacy, and the Executive Committee, it 
seems to us, were traveling out of their province, when 
they urged the mounting of this instrument. It may 
do for Mr. Olcott to adopt their views, but we cannot 
sanction the proceeding. The Committee should at least 
have advised with the Scientific Council, before deciding 
a scientific question against the Director. 

17. The Meridian Circle — In this superb instrument 
there is embodied such a variety and combination of im- 
provements that there is a full measure of reputation for 
all concerned in its production. The beauty and finish of 
its execution, and the consummate perfection of the de- 
sign, in which all the suggestions are so admirably com- 
bined, attest at one view the masterly skill of the makers, 
Messrs. Pistor & Martins ; but our present duty is to con- 
sider the especial merits of the Director of the Observa- 
tory in relation to its construction. There are a few in- 
struments in the world of such excellence as always to 
have been called by the name of him who had the 
final responsibility of the plans for their construction. 
Such is Repsold's Heliometer, Airy's Altazimuth in- 
strument, Hassler's Theodolite, and such is this Meridian 
Circle. Dr. Gould is in intimate correspondence with 
all the principal astronomers of the world, and we be- 
lieve that no man can exhibit more unanimous proofs of 
the confidence of his brethren in science, or more richly 
deserves them. He has been a faithful student in the 
observatories of Gottingen, Berlin, Greenwich and Paris, 



6.1 

and is most familiar with those of Oxford, Cambridge,. 
Alton a, Bonn and Pulkowa, as well as a great number 
of observatories of less widely extended reputation. 
He frankly discussed the first plan of his Meridian 
Circle with the Directors of many observatories, and it 
is due to these distinguished men to say that their 
criticisms and suggestions were given with earnest and 
sympathizing cordiality ;: and here, as in all his in- 
tercourse with generous men, the respect and friend- 
ship which were at first manifested have never been 
withdrawn. It would be impossible to describe this 
great instrument in a few sentences, and the greater 
part of its remarkable improvements have been com- 
memorated to the world by the letter of Encke. There 
are several of its improvements which have even escaped 
the notice of this distinguished astronomer, and which 
must be reserved for the scientific description of the in- 
strument. It is sufficient to say in one word, that it 
stands without a rival, the noblest instrument of its 
class which has been constructed, and that we are in- 
debted, before all others, to Dr. Gould for its con- 
ception. It is the offspring of his genius, and the de- 
gree of personal feeling must be intense which would 
sever the Director from this instrument without giving 
him the opportunity of establishing its reputation, and 
securing it from the obloquy behind which some unskill- 
ful observer might seek to hide his own incapacity. The 
circle is already mounted, so far as the transit element is 
involved, and no time has been lost in the execution of 
the delicate attendant operations. One of the greatest 
improvements in the construction of the instrument con- 
sisted in the imbedding of the microscope-tubes into the 



62 

single stones constituting the piers, by which the ut- 
most solidity is secured to their position. The drilling, 
which is greatly augmented by this process, is required 
to be conducted with extreme precision. The happy 
idea of protecting the piers from rapid changes of tem- 
perature and dampness, by a clothing of non-conducting 
material included within an external wooden casing, has 
been here introduced for the first time, and these cover- 
ings require to be fully completed before the microscopes 
can receive their final mounting, and the instrument be 
ready for the work of adjustment. 

18. Microscopes. — Another frivolous charge against 
Dr. Gould is that of sending off parts of the meridian 
circle without the consent of the President of the Board 
of Trustees. The misdemeanor, set forth in this charge, 
consists in putting into the hands of Mr. Spencer (to 
whom had been confided the making of the great Helio- 
meter) the microscopes intended to read the fine gradua- 
tion on the limbs of the circle. Examination of these 
eight microscopes led Dr. Gould to believe that they 
required a slight modification, in order to obviate all 
danger of flexure. After consultation with Mr. Spencer, 
he states that he took the precaution (quite superfluous 
under any ordinary circumstances) of asking and obtain- 
ing authority from Mr. Olcott himself. The change 
was of a trifling character, consisting in the addition of 
a ring of brass, with two pegs and a spring. It might 
readily be removed at any time, and the. idea, that it 
could possibly interfere with any claims of the Trustees 
against the makers, is ridiculous even did any ground 
for claims of any sort exist. It would be difficult to 
explain so frivolous a charge, except by attributing it 
to the promptings of prejudice and ill-feeling. 



63 

19. Continued delay — Unfolding glories. — Mr. Olcott 
would seem to think that the meridian instruments are 
intended for a less useful but more popular purpose than 
their real one ; since he alludes to " the unfolding glories 
which they are expected to reveal." 

The preparations for mounting the meridian -circle 
have been a work of great labor and thought. The in- 
strument, together with its microscopes, counterbalances, 
adjustments, &c, is supported by two stone piers, weigh- 
ing somewhat more than seven tons each, cut away in 
various places and perforated with cylindrical holes, the 
position and direction of which require adjustment with 
almost mathematical precision. This labor cannot be 
compared with that attending the erection of any other 
meridian-circle, inasmuch as the peculiarities of construc- 
tion of this one entail this peculiar care in mounting. 
The work of drilling and cutting the holes occupied the 
continued labor of from two to four men for seven weeks, 
and demanded constant superintendence and device. 
The necessary measurements and markings alone required 
long continued and close application. The stone piers 
again are covered with a tightly fitted clothing of a felt- 
like fabric woven especially for the purpose, and then 
provided with a casing of wood, saturated on each sur- 
face with a solution of shellac. The object of these 
coverings is to exclude the influence of temperature and 
moisture from the piers ; and they are rendered impor- 
tant by the circumstance that the delicately adjusted 
microscopes are supported by the stone itself. Every 
precaution has been taken which the experience of the 
world suggested, to render the observations to be made 
with this splendid instrument as perfect as the preseat 
state of science will allow. 



64 

To accuse Dr. Gould of tardmess or delay in tills 
work is to speak without knowledge, or to pervert truth. 
We will not assert that Mr. Olcott was actuated by the 
latter motive ; but the confidence with which his incor- 
rect assertions are uttered shows either an assumption 
of astronomical knowledge, or a recklessness of assertion, 
entirely incompatible with justice. 

So far from being delayed or protracted, the work has 
been advanced quite as rapidly as could have been rea" 
sonably expected, had the whole time of Dr. Gould been 
available for this purpose alone. Even had his mind 
not been oppressed and harassed with care and anxiety 
the work of putting up this instrument would of itself 
have creditably represented the time employed. When 
it is remembered what a multitude of other occupations 
have weighed upon his mind, to distract his attention 
and absorb his time, our language regarding this un- 
founded accusation of delay will not be considered too 
severe. 

Since meridian instruments like the circle and transit 
are altogether unfit for scrutinizing the physical peculi- 
arities of celestial bodies, and are designed exclusively 
for measurements of position, the rhetorical flourish rela- 
lative to "panting for the unfolding glories which they 
expected to reveal," is ludicrous. 

20. Incompetency. — Another grave charge, seriously 
affecting the character of Dr. Gould, is that of incompe- 
tency. To render this charge more emphatical, it is 
printed in italics. " The truth," says Mr. Olcott, " in 
my judgement, lies in a nutshell. It is a discreet 
unwillingness to test his skill as a practical astronomer.' 7 



65 

This charge does not affect Dr. Gould alone, but also 
the Scientific Council. It charges them either with 
recklessness, in placing without proper caution, a man 
at the head of the Observatory who was incapable of 
discharging its duties ; or, when knowing his infirmities, 
with sacrificing the interests of the Observatory to per- 
sonal considerations. We emphatically disclaim both of 
these allegations ; and, though Mr. Olcott may, from his 
financial success in life, have good reason to place full 
reliance upon his judgement in money matters, we 
think he over-estimates its value when called to pro- 
nounce upon matters pertaining to astronomical science^ 
However infallible his judgement may be in ordinary 
affairs, the confidence he reposes in it, as applied to this 
subject, may possibly be fallacious. 

But who is this Dr. Gould, who has thus been pro- 
nounced incompetent ? Though self-respect might pre- 
vent him from answering this question himself, yet the 
Scientific Council when accused of a want of caution or 
honesty, on his account, may be permitted to answer it. 
Dr. Gould graduated at Cambridge, with high honors. 
He early resolved to devote himself to astronomy, and for 
this purpose passed four years in Europe. He devoted 
one year to study at Berlin, under Encke, one to research 
at Gottingen, under Gauss, and nearly two years more 
to labors at the Imperial or Royal observatories of 
England, France and Russia, under the superintendence 
of men like Airy, Arago, Struve, Hansen, Schumacher, 
&c, &c. In this way he was enabled to become 
acquainted with the peculiarities of each observatory 
and from the talents (and we may say genius) which he 
exhibited in the acquisition of the old and suggestion of 



66 

new knowledge, he gained general esteem, and the warm 
friendship (of which we have abundant proof) of the 
most distinguished astronomers of Europe. Keturning 
to America, he was employed on the Coast Survey as 
successor to the illustrious Walker, in the practical 
determinations of longitudes by the telegraphic system ; 
and we beg to place the positive results of his labors in 
this line against the judgement of Mr. Olcott, however, 
confidently expressed. 

When, a few years ago, the Astronomical expedi- 
tion under Lieut. Gilliss, had been fitted out by the 
U. S. government and sent to Chile, for the purpose of 
determining the distance of the sun from the earth' — 
this being the great astronomical unit upon which 
all our measurements of the vast distances of space 
depend — nearly three years were devoted by the 
accomplished officer in charge and his assistants to 
obtaining a series of extended and minute observations. 
Upon the return of the expedition, the whole collection 
of observations, made in pursuance of the objects of the 
expedition, was placed by the Secretary of the Navy in 
the hands of Dr. Gould for reduction and the determina- 
tion of the desired quantities. The manner in which this 
work was performed may be seen by the published 
results ; and, even if it should be pronounced by Mr. 
Olcott an evidence of the author's unskillful n ess, we 
think we shall be able to show, in opposition to this 
judgement, that it has met the general approbation of 
the scientific world. Dr. Gould has continuously sus- 
tained, at his own expense, for the last nine years, an 
Astronomical Journal of the first class. Through its 
columns the principal additions to astronomy which 



67 

have been made in our country daring the period above 
mentioned, have been given to the world. It has become 
a standard of reference in the history of astronomy, 
which, on account of the connection of its editor with 
the Dudley Observatory, has served, with other circum- 
stances, to render the name of this establishment familiar 
to every astronomer. We need not dwell further on the 
labors of Dr. Gould, but it will be sufficient to refer to the 
astronomical periodicals of the last dozen years for an 
answer to the question — "What has he done?" His 
labors in connection with the Observatory will be men" 
tioned hereafter. In concluding this part of oar state- 
ment, we cannot refrain from expressing our astonishment 
that Mr. Olcott should presume to pronounce a judge- 
ment in this case. 

( It is evident that the Trustees and the Scientific 
Council have views of the Observatory, incompatible 
with each other. The aims of the two are as different 
as the motives of those who seek mere notoriety are 
from the motives of those who seek true reputation. 
The great object of the former seems to be to make 
an impression upon the popular mind, by means of a 
display of imposing instruments and apparatus. The 
object of the Scientific Council is to render the in- 
stitution a means of producing original additions to 
knowledge, which may command the approval of the 
scientific world and confer lasting honor upon the Ob- 
servatory. 

21. The gratuity to the makers of the meridian circle. 
— The next charge is that of sending, without authority 
from the Board, $300 as a gratuity to the makers of the 
meridian-circle. To show the basis of this, we quote 



68 

from the letter of Dr. Gould to these mechanicians, 
Messrs. Pistor & Martins, of Berlin : 

" I had hoped to announce to you before now that the 
meridian circle was set op and adjusted, and to inclose a few 
hundred dollars as the reasonable contribution of the Trustees 
of the Observatory to reimburse you for the unforeseen ex- 
penses incurred. * * * * I feel myself bound in honor 
to protect you against loss from an instrument for which I 
contracted with you, as well as planned in some measure ; 
and all the more, inasmuch as I believe it to be a most honor- 
able and beautiful specimen of your skill. Will you, there- 
fore, have the goodness to draw upon me for $300 at ten days' 
sight, which draft shall be duly honored." 

This letter needs no comment from us. It is in keep- 
ing with Dr. Gould's character, and with his course since 
he has been connected with the Dudley Observatory. 
It certainly required ingenuity on the part of the Presi- 
dent of the Board to make it assume even the semblance 
of an accusation against him. But this is not all 
Dr. Gould has laid before us his correspondence with 
Mr. Olcott upon this subject, and we have seen that it 
contains a full explanation of the matter, — the courteous 
and forbearing tone of Dr. Gould's replies contrasting 
strongly with the offensive style of the letters from Mr. 
Olcott, to which they are in answer. 

Accusations such as these, when properly stated, only 
declare the temper and spirit of the accuser, and result in 
doing honor to the accused. 

22. Gentleman from West — The story of the gentle- 
man from the West, which is introduced by Mr. Olcott, 
has been traced, by the help of one of the Trustees, 
from its origin to its present form, and we declare that 
it grew out of a single misconception, exaggerated until 



69 

it took its present dimensions — reminding us of that 
trite history of exaggeration which each one will refer 
to at once for himself. 

23. Opposition to Professor Baclie. — Letter to the 
" Albany Knickerbocker? — In order to convict Dr. Gould 
of misstatements, Mr. Olcott actually undertakes to 
overlook the fact, which he has previously stated with 
some elaboration, that the arrangement, made with the 
Superintendent of the Coast Survey in 1855, was super- 
seded in January by the contract which placed the 
Observatory under the charge of the Scientific Council. 
We assert that at that meeting Dr. Bache distinctly stated 
that he had received Mr. Olcott's proposition, as a mem- 
ber of the Scientific Council, and then and there pro- 
ceeded to express a renewal of the acceptance in the same 
capacity. The Observatory was placed — its Mr. Olcott's 
letter to Professor Henry, already quoted, states — under 
the charge of Dr. Gould, subject only to the Scientific 
Coiincil. The fact, that Dr. Gould and his assistants are 
officers of the Coast Survey, does not place the Institu- 
tion in any way under the control of that work, what- 
ever may be its legal right, growing out of the longitude 
operations still in progress. 

24. Peculation. — It is difficult to convey our idea in 
regard to this charge, without using such strong language 
as we prefer not to employ. To say that it is untrue ; 
that it has not a particle of foundation ; that it is base- 
less ; has not the shadow of reality or an excuse for it ; 
would be feeble, compared with the convictions that we 
have of the character of the imputation.. That a man 
who as Trustee was responsible for the funds of the 
donors, and charges himself, in order to charge Dr. Gould, 



70 

with "wasteful expenditures," should bring such an 
accusation, which is sure to recoil, strikes us as most 
extraordinary. There would be as much foundation for 
any other infamous charge as for this. This is not like 
the arraignment of being ignorant of practical astro- 
nomy, which the banker may prefer against the astrono- 
mer without feeling or knowing its enormity; it is 
brought by one who is accustomed to handle funds of 
his own and of other people, and who should be sensi- 
tive in regard to a charge of peculation. 

This assertion, that Dr. Gould "individually pockets, 
in addition to his salary, the very considerable income 
from longitude determinations," we solemnly, after de- 
liberate investigation, pronounce unsupported by a 
shadow of foundation. Mr. Olcott's insinuation, "this 
explains his past anxiety to grasp the legislative appro- 
priation," is in perfect keeping with the rest of Mr. 
Olcott's charges, and we feel that it will but add to the 
indignation felt by every right-minded man who reads 
the attack. 

The accounts paid by Dr. Gould, and for which he 
has exhibited to us the vouchers, are, — for materials, 
$5S.29; for pay-roll of persons, $215.93; for travel-, 
ing expenses, $70.75 ; for subsistence of two assistants, 
$124.00; for contingencies, batteries, messages, &c, 
$65.55 ; for freight and cartage, $64.47 ; putting up line 
of wire, $43.75 ; for second pay-roll of persons to June 
23, $118.29; for subsistence of assistants, $28.00; for 
stone foundations, $49.94; for hardware, $6.96; for 
lumber, $64.51 ; for carpenter's work, $18.50 ; making 
a total of $928.94. 



71 

Assistant Dean, Sub-Assistant Goodfellow, and Arti- 
ficer McDonnell, of the Coast Survey, were engaged in 
the operations, drawing their regular salaries from the 
Survey. Of the sum of $928.94, disbursed by Dr. 
Gould, only $600 has been advanced by Mr. Olcott. 

So much for the charge of peculation ! Will public 
justice permit such a charge to be made and not take 
cognizance of it ? 

25. Letter to the German Journal. — The matter of 
Dr. Gould's letter to the Astronomical Journal of Al- 
tona is a perfectly simple one. He and his assistants 
are bound to render certain services during office hours, 
fixed by the government at six hours per day. For this 
they receive their pay. This time is devoted to compu- 
tations connected with the longitude observations of the 
Coast Survey. Beyond these office hours the govern- 
ment has no claim upon their time. They give their re- 
maining time during the day, and their nights, to. the 
Dudley Observatory. This honorable service, for which 
the thanks of the Council are here tendered to them, 
should be acknowledged with all praise. It is but scan- 
tily compensated by the advantage of the dwelling- 
rooms, derived from the Observatory, and fire, lights 
and furniture furnished by the Director from his private 
means. It is such service as is well compensated in the 
United States and abroad. We have had occasion to 
know positively that it is good service, faithful and zeal- 
ous, intelligent, skillful service — honorable to the Direc- 
tor who could inspire the desire for it, and give the 
training needed; most honorable to these "young aspi- 
rants," whom it is easy to see will, at no distant day, be 
among the leading spirits of astronomical research in our 



72 

country. It shows no small power of winning good- will 
and preserving it, that these young men, thus working, 
should be devoted, as they are, to Dr. Gould, — sympa- 
thizing like brothers in his troubles and ready at all times 
to relieve, as far as is in their power, his cares and 
anxieties. 

The idea of founding a charge of peculation upon this 
letter is one of the most extraordinary that a reasonable 
man can conceive. It goes to show how entirely unfit 
the Trustees were, in temper and feeling, to sit in judge- 
ment upon Dr. Gould; and it serves to explain the 
accusations of insolence, prevarication and falsehood pre- 
ferred against the assistants of Dr. Gould. We must 
do these gentlemen the bare justice to say that we have 
met them officially and privately for some days, and 
that one of us has known them for some years, and that 
in every particular their conduct has commended them 
to our high respect and regard. 

26. Cooperation. — Recurring to the idea of the na- 
tional character of the Dudley Observatory, Mr. Olcott 
declares that the personal relations of Dr. Gould with 
Mitchell, with Maury, with the Bonds, and with Briin- 
now, are such as to preclude the hope of concert and 
cooperation with them. How utterly this is unwarranted 
by the facts is shown by the pages of the Astronomical 
Journal, edited by Dr. Gould, and which contains con- 
stant contributions from the Bonds, Maury and Briinnow ! 
The number just passing through the press contains a 
leading article from the last-named astronomer. 

27. Selection of Station Point. — That Cambridge was 
not selected as the point to connect with Albany, is 
attributed to the jealousy of Dr. Gould — a perversion 



73 

of a simple matter, which is almost too gross to notice. 
Suffice it to say that the two stations within the State 
of New York were recommended by the Scientific Coun- 
cil to the Regents of the University, under whose direc- 
tion the appropriation made by the legislature of New 
York was planned, and received their sanction. The 
reasons which determined this choice are easily shown , 
and have reference simply to the scientific details of 
the problem. 

28. Prosperity of the Institution. — When the Scientific 
Council came to Albany they found the scientific pros- 
perity of the institution to be worthy of all commenda- 
tion. If the same praise is not applicable to the financial 
affairs, the financial officers are accountable. If the 
President of the Board of Trustees has been unable to 
restrain the expenditures within the limits of judicious 
economy, then is he unworthy of the high reputation 
which he bears as an able financier. But, before he can 
claim to lay the charge of squandering the funds of 
the Dudley Observatory at any door but his own, 
he should make a full and clear exhibition of the state 
of the finances to his colleagues and to the public. 
He should be called upon to place all the books and 
accounts of the institution in the hands of a skillful and 
incorruptible accountant, whose true and responsible 
statement can be the only foundation for an accusation 
of pecuniary dishonor. We demand this investigation 
in justice to ourselves, who are involved in the insinua- 
tions against our colleague ; we demand it in justice to 
Dr. Gould, as his necessary defence against the wicked 
accusations of wasteful expenditure and of peculation ; 
we demand it in justice to the donors, who have trusted 
to our pledges in their giving, and whom this judgement 



74 

concerns, if there should be any development of violated 
trust. Who will assume the responsibility of obstruct- 
ing such an investigation ? 

The donors assuredly have a right to know what has 
become of their money — how much of it has been spent, 
and for what purposes — how much has been invested, 
and in what — and how much remains. It was collected 
by the use of our names, and part of it on our personal 
solicitation to the contributors. Let these questions be 
answered by Mr. Olcott. We were accepted as a coun- 
cil by the donors and friends of the Observatory. We 
been appealed to by Mrs. Dudley to represent her do- 
nation, amounting to nearly $80,000. We have been 
urged by donors, both here and out of Albany, to have 
this question tested. We call upon Mr. Olcott to answer 
these and other questions of account ; and, if he will 
not answer us, we call upon him to present to his col- 
leagues, the minority of the Board, such a statement. 

29. The Library. — This collection of books, which 
already consists of more than a thousand volumes, is 
peculiarly rich in choice, rare books, difficult of ordinary 
access. It attests the skill, discretion and thoroughness 
with which the Director has discharged this secondary 
portion of his duty. Some account of the collection, 
which has been gathered by the unremitting assiduity 
of three years, from all the auctions and antiquarian 
book sales of Europe, may be found in the Proceedings 
of the Albany Institute. 

30. The Scheutz Calculating Machine. — This marvel 
of art has been brought into successful operation. It is 
the embodiment of a life of ingenious contrivance, and 
has at last been proved to deserve the generous enco- 



75 

miums which it received from Mr. Babbage, the cele- 
brated author of the analytic engine. It enables one 
whose capacity does not rise higher than the turning 
of a crank, to produce numerical computations with 
almost unerring precision, and present them imprinted 
upon a metallic plate ready for the stereotyper; and 
this is accomplished in the same time which a good 
computer would require for the computation itself. This 
first adoption of the substitution of mechanical for men- 
tal operations in the tedious task of computing, is a 
commencement of the Observatory of which it may 
well be proud, and which bids fair to inaugurate a new 
era in astronomical computation. 

Dr. Gould has made himself thoroughly acquainted 
with the instrument, and has judiciously employed a 
skillful mechanician to make, under his direction, some 
changes which were suggested by the inventor, intro- 
ducing also a simple and ingenious improvement sug- 
gested by himself. This assistant has also carefully 
arranged the whole instrument, and brought it into a 
working condition, an operation which occupied several 
weeks. It is now in perfect order, and its operations can 
be guided by a careful workman of ordinary education. 
The slight repairs which it will constantly need are esti- 
mated by the mechanical assistant at about $28 a year, 
and he is also of opinion that, with proper care, it is not in 
danger of any accident which can more than quadruple 
this annual outlay. It is now and then liable, in its com- 
putation, to the introduction of an error. This defect 
seems to be irremediable, and to be radically associated 
with the exquisite refinement of the construction ; but, 
whenever an error may occur, it is readily traced to its 



76 

origin, and the corresponding correction admits of easy 
application. There is is also a small liability to error in 
the typographical portion of the instrument, but Dr. 
Gould has here suggested a remedy which will probably 
be successful. He has prepared the system of formulas 
by which the peculiar computations can be most readily 
effected for the immediate application of the machine. 
The numerical computations which these formulas in- 
volve require the aid of a scientific assistant, in the 
selection of whom he has been peculiarly fortunate ; 
the regulation, adjustment and correction of the ma- 
chine are finally to be committed to this assistant. We 
are happy to state that a set of tables of Mars has been 
undertaken, and that the most important of these tables, 
that of the true anomaly, has already been completed 
for each tenth of a day, so that we have before us the 
first full astronomical table which has ever been com- 
puted by a calculating machine. 

31. Conceit, Arrogance and Taunts. — Charges of 
conceit, arrogance, and taunts against Dr. Gould may suit 
Mr. Olcott's purpose in rousing the Trustees to action , 
but cannot promote the cause of truth or justice, or aid 
them in the proper discharge of a sacred trust. This 
was a case, if ever, where men should take the highest 
views of their responsibility and the loftiest position in 
regard to self-denial. Men, who were not astronomers, 
were the Trustees of funds given to endow a great Ob- 
servatory. The interests of astronomical science in the 
city of Albany, and State of New York, and, in a degree, 
in the whole United States, were confided to them. All 
personal feeling should have been set aside in the execu- 
tion of their sacred trust. At the outset they showed 



77 

this becoming modesty, and no one more than Mr. 
Olcott, who now undertakes to judge Dr. Gould as a 
practical astronomer, and to decide some of the most 
difficult questions. 

Writing in November last to a member of the Scien- 
tific Council, Mr. Olcott says : 

" I certainly was willing to cooperate with distinguished 
scientific men, and was proud to enlist as a subordinate under 
your banner. It might never have been revived from the 
tomb of its repose, but through your inspiration. # # # # 
I regard our success so far, as transcending our most sanguine 
hopes at the beginning. The services rendered by Prof. Henry 
and yourself in New York, enabled us to gain a footing there, 
and your identification with the enterprise has given it a pass- 
port to the confidence and regards of the nation." 

Noble sentiments — worthily expressed — contrasting 
as light and darkness, with the actions and words of the 
past week. 

Writing in January to another member of the Coun- 
cil, Mr. Olcott says : 

" All you have done and are doing is for American science, 
and we are disposed to be governed altogether by our Scientific 
Council. We have unbounded confidence in them in every- 
thing, and we wish them to consider us as an humble instru- 
ment in their hands in carrying forward this great enterprise. 
We have not a personal wish, object or interest in this matter. 
We are willing to sink or swim, with a Henry, a Peirce, a 
Bache and a G-ould, as the only chance of immortalizing our- 
selves in this world." 

Sink or swim, with a Henry, a Peirce, a Bache and a 
Gould ! 

ISTow, so much has temper altered the tone of his mind, 



78 

lie says of one of these men: "The truth, in my judge- 
ment, lies in a nutshell. It is a discreet unwillingness to 
test his skill as a practical astronomer." In Mr. Olcott's 
judgement! Just at a time when kindness, forbearance 
and strict regard to justice were required, the temper of 
the Board is inflamed by such appeals as this, so that 
they sit in star-chamber judgement upon Dr. Gould. 

32. Work done. — The difference of longitude of the 
Observatory from New- York has been determined, using 
the Coast Survey stations for the purpose. An elaborate 
and valuable series of photometric observations of stars 
has been made. This is one of those instances of happy 
adaptation of ends to means that mark talent among 
practical men. Dr. Gould selected at once a class of 
observations adapted to the deficient means of the 
Observatory, and by training his excellent young obser- 
vers, and employing the naked eye, the " opera-glasses " 
sneered at by Mr. Olcott, and the comet-seeker, he has 
obtained at once standard results, making over one 
thousand observations of magnitudes since March 10, of 
which two hundred and eleven are upon variable stars, 
and forty-four upon stars suspected to be variable. These 
observations for magnitude have involved the charting, 
and subsequent verification by comparison with the 
heavens, of a zone 60° in breadth, and have led to the 
detection of thirteen stars of which the magnitudes differ 
from those given by Argelander in his catalogue. This 
distinguished astronomer has of late devoted his great 
abilities with especial energy to this class of researches, 
to the importance of which he was one of the first to 
urge attention. When a star is now found to differ from 
Argelander's assignment of magnitude its variability is 
justly suspected. 



79 

The numerical results of the observations by the differ- 
ent assistants of Dr. Gould show an extreme precision, 
the result of their capacity and of his excellent training. 
This work was admirably chosen — not only on account of 
the valuable additions which it affords to practical and 
physical astronomy, but also as a valuable means for 
training his assistants — to whom it has given a thorough 
knowledge of the actual configurations of three-quarters 
of all the stars in the Northern Hemisphere, visible to 
the unassisted eye. It has, at the same time, afforded 
them the best preliminary education of the perceptive 
faculties, accustoming them to that delicate discrimina- 
tion of minute differences, which is at once so important 
and so rare in the astronomical observer. And while 
the results attained are of high value, both as regards 
their systematic bearing and their degree of precision, 
their attainment has collaterally fulfilled the important 
purpose of preparing the observers for still greater 
future usefulness. 

By means of these determinations, the working list for 
the proposed catalogue of fixed stars down to the 6 th 
magnitude inclusive, — the work proposed for the meri- 
dian circle, — has been very nearly completed. 

The study of variable stars exhibits one of the most 
interesting fields in stellar astronomy, and one to which 
the attention of scientists has only within a few years 
been specially directed. At least two first-class Euro- 
pean observatories are devoting peculiar attention to 
this subject, to which Dr. Gould has devoted special 
care. 

And here we will again pay our tribute to that " su- 
perlative precision " at which Mr. Olcott has so offensively 



80 

and indiscreetly aimed his sarcasm, and which is bril- 
liantly manifested in the photometric observations which 
have been made under Dr. Gould's direction and super- 
vision. The agreement between the observations of the 
several assistants is most satisfactory and indeed surpris- 
ing. Besides these observations, which are sufficient to 
stamp with approval the "unfolding glories" of the 
Observatory, the transits of stars have been regularly 
observed for time, and carefully and systematically 
reduced since the middle of April ; all the occupations 
have been observed which have been visible with the 
comet seeker, and new discoveries of celestial bodies 
verified. In the exchanges of telegraphic signals for 
longitude, 210 sets of observations have been made for 
instrumental corrections, 23 for personal equation, 189 
for longitude, 169 exchanged with New- York, and 47 
for thread-intervals. The latter branch of the subject 
is still in progress. 

Besides these astronomical results, the magnetic inten- 
sity, dip and declination have been carefully observed, 
giving the magnetic constants for the Observatory. In 
these and the longitude observations, assistance was had 
from the longitude field parties of the Coast Survey. 
We pronounce this a remarkable amount of work for 
the time and number of persons employed; and when 
the unusually bad weather of this spring is considered, 
so that this is actually the work of forty observing 
nights, great credit should be conceded to Dr. Gould and 
his assistants. The conception of the observations was 
good, and they have been well executed. 

The mounting of the Scheutz calculating machine, 
and of the meridian-circle, has already been spoken of, 
and the arrangements of the clocks and chronographs. 



81 

We have only to express our great gratification at the 
character of the whole results, which shows what might 
be expected from Dr. Gould and his assistants, if undis- 
turbed by annoying and untimely visits, controversies 
and persecutions. 

33. Conclusion, — It is tedious to follow through its 
turnings and windings such an unmethodical and illo- 
gical statement as that which passes under the name 
of Mr. Olcott. We have felt that, having plunged 
himself into this matter, he was determined to crush 
Dr. Gould by the extraordinary number, as well as by 
the unmethodical chaos and vagueness of his charges. 
If pains were taken to examine and refute all these 
labored statements, the public, he hoped, would not 
read the reply. If only the main charges were dwelt 
upon, he would cry, "See there, I charged thus and 
so, and no notice is taken of this charge." This presents 
the real and only point of great difficulty; for the 
evidence by which these charges may be tried is mainly 
documentary. It is derived chiefly from the corres- 
pondence of Mr. Olcott and Dr. Armsby with Dr. 
Gould and the members of the Scientific Council, at 
different periods since 1855 ; and especially since January, 
1858, when the new compact was made between the 
Trustees and Scientific Council. This voluminous cor- 
respondence is not published at present, for the reason 
that it has a most important bearing upon certain legal 
questions to be determined hereafter. Copies of our 
letters and of the replies to them have been carefully 
preserved. The indications of looseness and inaccuracy 
in the extracts from the records which have come to our 
notice seem to indicate less care on the part of the Pre- 
11 



82 

sident and Secretary. We urge with all earnestness 
that our fellow citizens will look carefully into our ex- 
amination, passing along the by-paths through which 
we have been obliged to follow Mr. Olcott, and not dis- 
couraged by the windings and obstacles of the way. 

They will find our discussions and results to be the 
following : 

1. We give a narration of the ostensible reasons assigned by 
Mr. Olcott and the Trustees voting with him for their late 
astonishing procedure against Dr. Gould, and show the earnest 
attempt made by us to obtain information from the Trustees, 
from Mr. Olcott, and from Dr. Gould ; and the refusal of the 
Board and of Mr. Olcott to supply us this information or to 
communicate with us, unless we would, as a preliminary, 
consent to prejudge the case by consenting to Dr. Gould's 
removal ; the denial of justice to Dr. Gould by not allowing 
him a hearing before the Board or an examination by the 
Council ; the publication and wide dissemination of un- 
founded charges against him by the President of the Board, 
with the sanction of a majority of its members ; our proceed- 
ing to the investigation by means both of our letters and 
those of Mr. Olcott and Dr. Armsby, and by such other sources 
of information as were open to us. In the course of this 
investigation we have become convinced, that the ignorance of 
Mr. Olcott of what an Observatory should be is flagrant, and 
that we were deceived by his high-sounding words as to his 
wishes to make what we understood by a "National Observa- 
tory," a "first class Observatory," one which should be equal 
to or surpass other institutions of the kind in our country, and 
the like; that the Trustees have not the knowledge to 
manage the scientific part of such an institution, and have not 
even judiciously managed its funds or provided for their safe 
and satisfactory disbursement ; that the majority of the 
Board has shown a great want of proper temper and disregard 
of the rights of others, as well as a want of care of the funds 
of the Observatory. 



83 

2. To diminish the labor of those who will, in their love of 
justice, follow us through the investigations of these charges, 
we have taken out a number of petty ones, showing their 
inaccuracy under the head of " Loose Statements." Mr. 
Olcott's disregard of precision in assertion is as remarkable as 
his condemnation of this quality in Dr. Gould, as applied to 
his science, is severe. These charges we should dispose of as 
frivolous. 

3. The attack on Dr. Gould for his precision and exactness 
is next shown in its true light, as proving ignorance or some- 
thing worse. The gravely-made charge in regard to the 
Lockport stone, used to excite an unfounded prejudice against 
Dr. Gould, is disposed of by a summary statement of the 
facts. 

4. The charges of injudicious recommendations in regard to 
the Observatory are examined under the titles of " The Ingen- 
ious Crane," " The Dome," " The Wings of the Building," 
" The Chronograph and Clocks," " The Dwelling-house," 
" The ready concurrence in Dr. Gould's schemes," following, 
almost precisely, the confused statements of Mr. Olcott, and 
finding that each and every charge is unfounded, and derives 
its only substance from the ignorance or ill-will of the accuser. 

5. Next is a full explanation of the cause of Dr. Gould's 
delay in coming to Albany, which is made a matter of charge 
by Mr. Olcott, though he well knew that the promised endow- 
ment, under which the Scientific Council consented to advise 
him to come, had never been made, and could not be procured 
within any moderate time ; though he also knew that Dr. 
Gould's visit to Europe on business of the Observatory had 
necessarily caused a large accumulation of back work, pertain- 
ing to the Coast Survey and to the Chilian expedition. 

6. The unfounded charge against Dr. Gould of applying for 
" another and rival position " is disposed of from our know- 
ledge of the facts, which are given as briefly as we could state 
them. Even his great talents and knowledge, which sug- 
gested to ourselves individually, and without communication 



84 

with one another, his name as preeminent for a high post in 
another institution,' are made, by ingenious sophistry, to appear 
to his discredit. 

7. A brief history of the connection of Dr. Peters with Dr. 
Gould and the Observatory is given, under the title which 
Mr. Olcott gives to it of " The Sacrifice of Dr. Peters." This 
is a subject which we touch upon with reluctance, but upon 
which the statements of Mr. Olcott, as far as they constitute 
charges against Dr. Gould, imperatively demand our notice, 
and receive, accordingly, their refutation. 

8. The subject of wasteful expenditures of the funds, alleged 
by Mr. Olcott, is examined and proved to contain no valid 
charge against Dr. Gould, however it may implicate the Trus- 
tees. Upon this point we suggest that a legal or a legislative 
examination should be called for by the donors. 

9. The charge of avowed and open hostility to the Trustees 
by Dr. Gould is met and disproved. 

10. For the garbled statement of Mr. Olcott in regard to 
the meeting of the Scientific Council with the Trustees in 
January, 1858, at which the compact, now violated by the 
Trustees, was ratified by them, is substituted a plain state- 
ment of the relations of the Trustees, Director and Council. 
Certain errors are pointed out, which Mr. Olcott enforces more 
than once, in the course of his paper, in the form of a charge 
of falsehood against Dr. Gould in regard to the relations of 
the U. S. Coast Survey with the Dudley Observatory. 

It should not be forgotten that the Council was not merely 
the creature of the Trustees, but was sanctioned " at a meeting 
of the friends of the Observatory," and that large donations 
were secured through the use of their names. That, in fact, the 
institution was dead when the Council agreed to supervise it, 
and that it was revived by the pledge of their scientific repu- 
tations that it should be made a "national," a "first-class" 
Observatory. In this appointment the Executive Committee 
acquiesced, and it was in January too late to alter the rela- 
tions of the Council and Trustees, which had been acted upon 
by the Council and acquiesced in by the Trustees for more 
than two years. 



85 

11. In examining, under the head of "Money Matters," the 
recommendations of Dr. Gould for expenditures for the Ob- 
servatory, we find much to praise and nothing to censure ; but 
the petty annoyances of the Executive Committee by delays, 
by non-assent to his recommendations, by the carelessness, or 
something worse, of the Secretary in his communications, &c, 
are brought out fully. The fact that Dr. Gould has been 
obliged to furnish the dwelling-house at the Observatory at 
his own cost and pay many contingent expenses, amounting 
to some three thousand dollars, clearly appears. A system of 
annoyance seems to have been resorted to for worrying him 
into a resignation. The facts are stated, in our defence, in 
detail. 

12. The alleged payment of unauthorized demands is dis- 
posed of. The payments were made by Dr. Gould from his 
own resources, and he has never asked that they be refunded. 

13. The very grave charge of " gross and deliberate insults " 
to the Trustees receives a full examination, and a counter 
charge of unseemly and injudicious meddling on the part of 
the Trustees is preferred. These result from the consideration 
of the correspondence of Dr. Gould with the Trustees and 
their President and Secretary. Such a system of petty annoy- 
ance has, we venture to say, been seldom inflicted upon the 
Director of a scientific establishment. 

The fact is, that there appears to have been a systematic 
persecution in small and mean ways ; such as not replying 
promptly to letters, and thus delaying the work of the Ob- 
servatory — for example, the not answering, until March, letters 
written in January, &c. ; the non-communication by the Se- 
cretary of the acts of the Executive Committee of nine, of 
whom all but one were opposed to the Director, not even a 
fair representation of the minority of the Board being allowed 
a place upon it ; appointing upon a sub-committee of four 
the three members most prominent for bitter denunciations of 
Dr. Gould, and making the signature of two of these four 
requisite to give validity to any account ; interfering with 



86 

the details of arrangement of the house and grounds ; denying 
the means to procure furniture, &c, for the former ; not fur- 
nishing the funds impliedly promised ; passing votes relative 
to the Observatory, without consulting the Director ; visiting 
the Observatory at times when the Director's absence was 
known, and endeavoring to pick quarrels with the assistants ; 
giving to the assistants their views as to the arrangements 
which the Director ought to make ; not acting upon the 
Director's recommendations as to the mounting of the instru- 
ments, &c, &c. 

The Council repel, with indignation, the attack of Mr. 
Olcott upon the young associates of Dr. Gould in the Obser- 
vatory. The charges recoil upon Mr. Olcott himself. The 
assistants are most intelligent and exemplary young men, and 
should be sustained against the sneers and charges of Mr. 
Olcott, by the citizens of Albany, young and old. They have 
been serving most generously and zealously, without compen- 
sation, for the love of their science, and should not be per- 
mitted to be exposed to wanton insult. They were arraigned 
by the Executive Committee and condemned unheard, as Dr. 
Gould himself was afterwards arraigned and condemned 
unheard by the Trustees. The sneers of Mr. Olcott at them 
as " not probably out of their teens," as " patron saints of the 
institution," &c, are, under the circumstances, not only 
absurd, but outrageous. 

14. Dr. Gould's letter of May 31st to the Executive Com- 
mittee, which, according to Mr. Olcott, " affords sufficient 
justification for terminating Dr. Gould's relations with the in- 
stitution," from its " arrogance, insolence and conceit," is fully 
vindicated from the charges of Mr. Olcott. An offer is made 
to submit a case to any impartial tribunal upon this letter, and 
that Dr. Gould shall withdraw if this letter contains what is 
charged by Mr. Olcott. The charges of arrogance and conceit 
are shown to lie at Mr. Olcott's door. This letter is a sample 
of many straightforward appeals to the Executive Committee 
of the Board, and none but men whose tempers were so in- 
flamed as to excite them to tyrannical acts, could fail to see 



87 

this. This is one of the most wicked attacks upon Dr. Gould 
in the course of Mr. Olcott's paper, and the letter itself is in 
print to refute it. 

15. The admirable character of the clocks and chronographs, 
and the testimony which they bear to Dr. Gould's ingenuity 
and neatness of arrangement, is pointed out in refutation of 
Mr. Olcott's sneer, that they are " useless only as toys for the 
entertainment of his juvenile companions and of vistors." 

16. The falseness of the statements in regard to the large 
transit-instrument is shown. 

17. The beautiful arrangements of the meridian-circle, 
which reflect so much credit upon Dr. Gould, are briefly 
pointed out. The progress made in mounting it and preparing 
it for use is stated. This instrument is preeminently the pro- 
duct of Dr. Gould's genius, and it is cruel that it should be 
wrested from his use. It stands without a rival in the excel- 
lence of its arrangements. 

18. The absurd intermeddling of Mr. Olcott, in demanding 
an account from Dr. Gould as to his sending the microscopes of 
the meridian-circle to Mr. Spencer for slight modification, is 
put in what we conceive to be its proper light. It is another 
sad evidence of the incompatibility of his suspicious and irri- 
table temper with his position. 

19. The accusation of continued delay, of keeping the in- 
struments in their boxes, with the absurd remark about " un- 
folding glories" are considered and refuted. 

20. The preposterous charge of incompetency, preferred by 
Mr. Olcott against Dr. Gould, is next examined, and we decide 
in opposition to Mr. Olcott. We give unreservedly, as in 
duty bound, our opinion of Dr. Gould as a man of science, and 
relate how he was trained for his work and how he has done 
it. We show what are his claims to the respect of scientific 
men, and show that he has obtained it. 

21. In regard to the unauthorized gratuity of $300 to Messrs. 
Pistor & Martins, for the meridian-circle, we find that it was 
made by Dr. Gould from his private resources — in justice to 
those distinguished artisans, who had encountered unforeseen 



88 

expenses. The Trustees should have done this act of justice 
themselves, and not have thrown the cost of it upon Dr. 
Gould ; yet Mr. Olcott now endeavors to make this act of gene- 
rosity the basis of a charge against him. Dr. Gould has never 
asked the refunding of the amount. 

22. The frivolous story of the " gentleman from the West" 
is briefly disposed of. 

23. The Scientific Council, from personal knowledge of the 
proceedings of the meeting of the Trustees, at which they 
were present, in January 1858, dispose of the attempt of Mr. 
Olcott to show that the statement of Dr. Gould is in conflict 
with that of the Superintendent of the Coast Survey as to 
the relations of the Dudley Observatory to the Survey. The 
charge is fully disproved, 

24. The very grave charge of peculation, preferred by Mr. 
Olcott against Dr. Gould, is found not to have the beginning 
of a foundation, and the items of the account for telegraphic 
longitudes are given. This charge cannot be characterized 
by its proper name without using stronger language than we 
wish to employ. We nail it to the counter as false. 

25. The matter of the letter to the Astronomical Journal, of 
Altona, is shown to be a perfectly simple one, and to have in 
it not the first element of a charge against Dr. Gould. 

26. We give the reasons disproving the charge that promi- 
nent astronomers cannot cooperate in matters of science w T ith 
Dr. Gould. 

27. We show that the selection of the station-point in New 
York, to be connected with the longitude station at the Dud- 
ley Observatory, was made by others, who were officially 
responsible for the selection ; and therefore that the charge 
against Dr. Gould of improper motives in making the selection 
is untrue. 

28. Having investigated the scientific concerns of the insti- 
tution, under Dr. Gould's directorship, and found them highly 
commendable, and that an extraordinary progress has been 
made, considering the time and other circumstances, we ask an 
equally searching examination into the pecuniary affairs which 



89 

have been under the charge of Mr. Olcott, that each one may 
be judged in his own line. We ask that Mr. Olcott be re- 
quired to render an account of his stewardship. 

29. We show that the character of the library redounds 
greatly to the credit of Dr. Gould, and not to his disparage- 
ment. 

30. We show that the mounting and use of the calculating 
engine, which has been already employed on astronomical 
work, is highly creditable to Dr. Gould. 

31. We are obliged again to notice the charge of Mr. Olcott 
against Dr. Gould, of " conceit, arrogance and taunts." We 
give extracts from Mr. Oleott's letters, showing his well ex- 
pressed modesty in former times ; and, contrasting it with his 
present conceit, we infer that his temper has deprived him of 
his judgement on these points. 

32. We examine the observations already made, and give 
high approval to Dr. Gould and his assistants for the zeal and 
ability with which they have been executed. They consist 
of more than one thousand observations of the magnitudes of 
stars, using Argelander's catalogue as a standard ; of obser- 
vations for time, for longitude, and others. The magnetic 
constants have also been determined. 

We have summed up our conclusions in the following 
preambles and resolutions, which, having been commu- 
nicated to the Trustees, were answered by our dis- 
missal. 

Whereas, The Scientific Council have received the 
resolution of the Trustees demanding the removal of 
the Director ; whereas, they find that Dr. Gould has 
been condemned without being heard in his own 
defence ; whereas, the Trustees have resisted all the 
attempts of the Scientific Council to obtain for Dr. 
Gould the opportunity of meeting the charges which 
have been made againt him ; whereas, these charges 



90 

appear to be mostly frivolous, with the exception of 
the two charges of incompetence and peculation; 
therefore, 

Resolved, That the Scientific Council must advise the 
Trustees that their persistence in their present course 
of removing the Director is opposed to all the recog- 
nized principles of justice, and is utterly at variance 
with the system of guardianship by which the laws of 
our country protect the rights of our citizens against 
every form of despotism; that it will be regarded as a 
bitter and burning disgrace by the whole community, 
and will not fail to obstruct all further contributions 
for the support of the Observatory. 

Whereas, The Scientific Council have carefully ex- 
amined the statement which has been transmitted to 
them by the Secretary of the Board of Trustees, accom- 
panying the resolution for his removal ; whereas, this 
is the evident basis upon which such removal is re- 
quired; whereas, they do not find in this statement any 
reasonable foundation for the serious charges which 
have been made against the Director ; and, whereas, 
they have examined the voluminous documentary evi- 
dence which Dr. Gould has transmitted to them in his 
defence, and they find in this evidence the triumphant 
refutation of all the charges which are made against 
him ; therefore, 

Resolved, That they must advise the Trustees that 
the removal of Dr. Gould would be a gross violation 
of their obligations to him. 

Whereas, This Council have carefully examined the 
scientific progress of the Observatory, and find it in 
all respects to be ably and judiciously conducted ; 



91 



whereas, they find that the labors of the Director and 
his assistants have been characterized by the utmost 
zeal and energy ; whereas, they find that no opportu- 
nity for astronomical observation has been permitted 
to pass unimproved ; whereas, they find in the char- 
acter of the work which has been already done, and 
in the unrivaled meridian-circle which has been con- 
structed under his direction, the most indubitable proofs 
of the greatness of his capacity for astronomical inves- 
tigation ; therefore, 

Resolved, That they must advise the Trustees that 
the removal of Dr. Grould will be an irreparable injury 
to the scientific operations of the Observatory. 

Whereas, The Council are persuaded that under the 
circumstances of Dr. Gould's removal no honorable 
and trustworthy astronomer would be willing to occupy 
his place, and take unrighteous possession of the 
splendid instrument into which the suggestions of his 
genius have been incorporated by its celebrated ma- 
kers ; therefore, 

Resolved, That they cannot by advice or in any other 
way acquiesce in his removal. 

JOSEPH HENRY, 
A. D. BACHE, 
BENJAMIN PEIRCE. 

Scientific Council of Dudley Observatory, 

Dudley Observatory, July, 1858. 



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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



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